


Everyone Knows Who They Are

by You_Are_Constance



Category: Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: (but not in graphic detail), Alexei Lives, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Found Family, Gen, alexei basically adopts everyone he meets into his family, dialogue from the show, i only wrote this because i love alexei
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27950087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/You_Are_Constance/pseuds/You_Are_Constance
Summary: Alexei was still haunted by ghosts of his past. He still saw horrors in his dreams. He saw his family appear before him, watching, waiting. For what, he didn't know.When he finally finds a way to get out of Russia, he jumps at the opportunity. The only problem is, he has to deal with an imposter pretending to be his dead sister.It wouldn't be that much of a problem if he wasn't starting to believe she isn't really an imposter.
Relationships: Alexei Romanov & Anya | Anastasia Romanov (Anastasia 1997 & Broadway), Dimitri | Dmitry/Anya | Anastasia Romanov (Anastasia 1997 & Broadway), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 38
Kudos: 49





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> yeah so i only wrote this because i always get sad when i think about Alexei and i love him.  
> that's all this is. i just really love Alexei
> 
> (I'm still going to keep posting Be Careful What a Dream May Bring--I've finished writing it so i just need to keep updating it)
> 
> and same rules apply as always. i won't publish any comments that swear
> 
> (title is from Alexei's part of Anya's nightmare)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think i'll update this one weekly (probably Mondays/Tuesdays since that's when i first started posting (depending on time zone) but we'll see i guess)
> 
> and yeah yeah i know alexei's supposed to be like 13 at this point but no. he is babey. like 9 at most okay

Alexei spent most of the night with his sister Anastasia. They danced together for a long while. Alexei liked the balls they always held, he just wasn't a big fan of the suit he had to wear each time. It was so incredibly uncomfortable, but Mother had made him wear it, so he did so.

Alexei tried to show off his dancing but ended up tripping and falling flat on his face. Anastasia immediately came over to help him up, but Mother picked him up before Anastasia had the chance to help him stand. Mother put him back on his feet.

They had pictures taken of the family when the dancing was over. Alexei sat on the floor below Mother and Father, Anastasia beside him, and their three older sisters above Mother and Father. Then others joined in for another picture.

Another picture was going to be taken when there was another loud noise, different from the sound of the camera. Alexei looked back at Mother and Father, who were looking off into another direction.

Then there were more loud noises.

The screams began.

Gunshots.

The family moved from their placing for pictures, going to a different room. Alexei wasn't sure where. There were people surrounding them when they stopped, people protecting them. Alexei felt Mother squeeze his hand as hid his face in her dress. He'd never been allowed to do so before, but he couldn't help himself. Mother was protection, and he was scared.

Then Alexei felt himself being pulled away from Mother. He heard more screams and crying of his name as he was knocked down to the ground where he lay for a long time.

The screams continued until another round of gunshots silenced them all.

The world went eerily quiet.

Alexei eventually managed to sit up, which was when he found himself alone. He couldn't keep himself from bursting into tears.

He was afraid still, but not the same way as before.

He was alone with no one to comfort him.


	2. Chapter 1

Alexei pulled his bag over his head as he prepared to leave the shelter of the bridge and go out into the city of St. Petersburg, now known as Leningrad.

"Sacha! Wait!" a voice cried, calling for Alexei using the name he'd gone by since he was a child.

Alexei turned around, recognizing the person who had called for him.

"What is it, Dimitri?"

"Why don't you stick with me today?"

Alexei rolled his eyes. "You know I cant. I have a job."

Dimitri groaned dramatically. "But that's so boring," he drew out the 'boring' much longer than he probably needed to.

"You should try it, rather than living off others and breaking the law."

"Me? Get a job?" he laughed. "Very likely."

"It couldn't hurt."

"Yeah, well I'm a bit occupied at the moment. Your job is just a waste of time."

Alexei shrugged. "It'll help me get away from here."

"Or you could work with me," Dimitri winked, "find another way to get out."

"Once you actually have a plan, and it looks likely, then maybe I'll consider."

"You're so boring."

"I have to go," Alexei insisted before Dimitri could try another way to keep him to stay.

Since he'd been able to, Alexei had been working to get find a way to get out of Russia. It was not unlikely that he'd be so sore each morning that he could hardly move, but he kept working anyway.

He couldn't afford to take a day off. It would be one day longer to wait.

He couldn't afford that.

Ever since Alexei was a child, or at least since his old life had ended, he'd thought of Dimitri like an or older brother. They helped each other, a lot, and Alexei was one of the few people that Dimitri seemed to trust. Enough to divulge the plan to.

Dimitri was also one of the few people that Alexei trusted, even if it wasn't with everything. There were a few secrets that were just too dangerous to share, and Alexei's name and identity were one of them. 

Alexei went about his job, watching carefully as he normally did. He never once saw Dimitri around, not like he used to.

Usually, Dimitri would hang about the square, where the Deputy Commissioner Gleb Vaganov would make speeches at a podium. Dimitri had nearly been in trouble with Vaganov before, many times.

To be frank, Dimitri wasn't exactly a rule-abiding citizen. He'd mocked Vaganov's words many times, and very nearly been caught by the man before almost as many times.

But since just a few days ago, Alexei had stopped seeing Dimitri around. Since the rumors of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov started to spiral in town.

Alexei knew full well that these rumors were not true. No one had survived. No one but him, and he wasn't entirely sure of how he did it, either.

As much as he wanted any of his family to have survived, he knew that none of them did. His only family was his grandmother, in Paris.

That was why he wanted to leave. In Paris, he had a family. In Paris, he had someone who loved him, and that was all he wanted.

He was only a child when the rest of his family was brutally murdered. His memories were fuzzy, but he knew that he was the only survivor.

And strangely enough, he wasn't the one that the rumors were about.

Alexei shrugged it off and got to work. At least if the rumors weren't about him, no one would even begin to suspect that he was royalty.

That was good. No one would ever expect someone such as him to be a survivor of such a terrible day in Russian history. 

Alexei tried to go off to work the next day, but Dimitri stopped him again.

"I've told you, Dimitri," Alexei sighed, "I can't help you, it's too much of a risk. You don't even have a plan, do you?"

"Not only do we have a plan, Sacha, but we've got a girl. We've found our Anastasia!"

Alexei let out another sigh and reluctantly turned around to see Dimitri smiling lop-sided at him. "She must be quite the actress," Alexei said bluntly.

"Actually, no." Dimitri scratched the back of his head. "She doesn't even remember her past, and she might actually believe that she is Anastasia. Vlad seems to believe it, too."

"Vlad believes this girl?"

Dimitri nodded. "This is it, Sacha, we'll be gone by winter."

"For sure?"

"By the end of the year at the latest. So will you help?"

Alexei hesitated. This was it, he'd be finally leaving Russia. But it was dangerous. If this scheme was found out, then everything he'd worked for would have been for nothing.

"Alright," Alexei agreed. "I'll help you."

"You will?"

Alexei nodded. "After my job ends. I still need to keep working."

"That's still incredibly boring."

"I'll see you tonight."

After another rough day of work, Dimitri took Alexei to the place that Dimitri been staying, which turned out to be the Yusupov Palace.

Alexei's old home.

Alexei stopped just outside of the entrance that Dimitri took inside. Dimitri noticed his hesitation.

"You alright?" Dimitri asked.

Alexei nodded, forcing himself to open his eyes and face the view of the palace. "It's just..."

"No one's going to find us here," Dimitri said softly.

Alexei nodded. He took a deep breath and followed in after Dimitri.

Dimitri continued to lead him through the dark halls. Alexei took in the view of his old home. All the furniture was covered with dusty white sheets.

Alexei had to blink back tears when they passed by the ballroom.

The last night he had with any of his family was spent in that room.

Thankfully, this time Dimitri didn't seem to notice.

"Vlad!" Dimitri exclaimed upon entering another room, the theatre. "We have a new comrade!"

Alexei elbowed him in the side.

"What was that for?"

"Just something that I've been wanting to do for a while." He noticed a blonde girl standing in the back of the room. "Is this her?"

Dimitri nodded. "The Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov."

The girl rolled her eyes and walked over to Alexei, holding out her hand.

"I'm Anya."

"Sacha," Alexei said, taking her hand. His heart skipped a beat when he met her eyes. Pale blue eyes, very similar to Alexei's own.

The Romanov eyes.

If going by appearance alone, this girl could certainly be his sister.

But they weren't going by appearance. If anything, this girl could be a very distant relative, not his closest sister. That was impossible.

"What do you think, Sacha?" Vlad asked. "Doesn't she just look like a Romanov?"

Alexei hesitated before answering. "I wouldn't know," he said eventually, hoping the time he took to answer wasn't too strange. "I've never met one. I was just a kid... when they died."

Why did he keep talking? He was only going to ruin everything!

Vlad stood up and strolled over to them.

"Well then take my word for it! Our little Anya looks quite like the Princess. Look! She even has the Romanov eyes!"

Alexei tensed up. He was hoping that no one would bring up the Romanov eyes. They could notice that Anya wasn't the only one who had them.

"So I hear you have a plan," Alexei said, hoping to change the subject before any of them could s dwell on the "Romanov eyes" any longer. "What is it?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

Dimitri took his shoulders and pushed him down to a seat as he and Vlad explained the plan.

"You've heard the rumors, I assume?" Vlad began.

"You do realize that there are countless different rumors in Petersburg, right?"

"The rumors on the Grand Duchess," Dimitri sighed. "You've heard them, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

Alexei nodded. "I've heard."

"Well, there's a second rumor piled with it. The Grand Duchess's Grandmother, the Dowager Empress is searching for any of her lost grandchildren, wrongly assumed to be dead."

"The Dowager Empress currently lives in Paris, which just so happens to be where our little Anya wanted to go as well," Vlad continued.

"I'm not 'little,'" she hissed.

"Your height might beg to differ," Dimitri mocked.

Anya lunged at Dimitri, Vlad catching her in his arms before the fight could get physical.

"Anyway," Vlad continued. "Anya wants to go to Paris, and the three of us want to get out of Russia. We figured, what better idea then for us four to work together?"

Alexei nodded. He turned to Anya. "So how did you come upon these doofuses?"

Anya smiled at him while Dimitri looked betrayed, "Glad you asked."

She jumped into the story, beginning with why she actually sought them out.

"I've always wanted to go to Paris, as long as I can remember, which isn't exactly very long," she added hesitantly. "You see, I woke up in a hospital, years ago, with no memories. All I knew is that I wanted to go to Paris. I have family there, I think. I... I don't actually know my name. The nurses at the hospital called me Anya. A good, strong, Russian name, they said it was. I've walked all across Russia to find work. The possibility of Paris was the only thing that kept me going. I heard, through a rumor from the people I used to stay with, that Dimitri and Vlad had travel papers. I had to try, so here I am." She threw out her arms as her lips turned up in a slight smile that lasted for only a moment. "I guess, they helped convince me that I could be the Grand Duchess, but even if I'm not, at least we'll be out of Russia, won't we? That's a win, at least."

Alexei nodded. "So you have no memory of your past?" he checked. "From before the hospital?"

She shook her head. "No memories. At least, not ones that I know are real. Sometimes, I see pieces, snippets, really, of what my life could have been. I... I have yet to piece them together."

Alexei nodded again. He guessed if there was a possibility that Anastasia—or any of his family could have survived—then Anya was more likely to be his sister than anyone.

But he pushed those thoughts away. Anastasia was dead, along with Mother, Father, Olga, Tatiana, and Maria. They were all gone, dead. No one besides him survived that night.

And he wasn't supposed to either.

"So what's your story, Sacha?" Anya probed. Alexei flinched.

"He doesn't like to say," Dimitri interrupted.

Anya crossed her arms over her chest, her face set in a pout. "If I had to share my story, you have to share yours."

Alexei leaned back in his chair. "I guess I probably should, then. If you insist."

He closed his eyes, trying to come up with something that fit well enough, yet would not give him away.

"My parents and sisters died when I was very young. I was still a kid, I have but a few memories of them, and even those aren't clear. I was taken in by an orphanage, but I wasn't exactly good at staying there. That's where I met Dimitri." He motioned towards where Dimitri sat. "I've worked since I've been able to. I want to get out of Russia, after that, I don't really know where I'll go."

That was a lie. He wanted to get to Paris. His only living family was there. If he belonged anywhere, it was in Paris.

Paris.

It was all he had worked for up to this point, and now, it just might be in his grasp.

But just how much did he have to lie to get to that point? Certainly not more than he'd done so for years. It wasn't new lies, just the same old ones.

At least, that was what he tried to convince himself. The same old lies. Who he was, where he came from, why he wanted to leave. The same old lies that he'd adopted into who he'd become.

He wasn't the Alexei he was before that one, terrible night. He'd changed, more than he'd ever he ever could have expected. He'd hardened. He'd had to, else he would never have survived all those years.

And survival was just about all he could do back then. He hadn't been able to dwell on what had happened for very long.

He'd only learned that his family was dead weeks later. Even after that second figurative bombshell, he'd never been able to dwell on it.

Alexei had learned quickly that no one could know who he was. If anyone knew he had survived, they'd come after him, and this time, he wouldn't be passed over.

If it weren't for a stranger's kindness and the orphanage owner's willingness to take him in, he never would have survived this long.

Alexei didn't know who had saved his life. All he remembered after the silence fell was being along alone and crying until he fell asleep.

Then he woke in the orphanage. A stranger had rescued him, and Alexei didn't even know who to thank. Maybe someday he'd find them, but that was second on his mind. It came after Paris and reuniting with his grandmother, which meant it would likely never happen.

Alexei watched as Dimitri and Vlad—mainly Vlad—started to teach Anya about how to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov.

She was taught how to walk like a princess, how to eat properly, and all about 'her' family's history. His family's history.

Vlad—to his part—did seem to know a lot of Alexei's family and the way to properly act like a royal.

He didn't get everything right. Even Alexei probably wouldn't get everything right, but it was close. It was very close.

Hopefully, it would be close enough.

Then they started teaching Anya how to dance since she already seemed to be a natural at bowing.

The more Alexei thought about it, the more he started to wonder if it was possible that his sister could have survived. 

But no. It was impossible.

All his family died. No one survived.

He knew that. If he started to think otherwise then it might very well end up crushing him. He couldn't bear to hope. Not anymore.

It ended up being a painful thing to even watch Dimitri and Anya attempt to dance. Dimitri seemed to have 'two left feet,' if that was the phrase.

It was clearly difficult for them both, based on how far down Dimitri had to lean in order for them to be even near the same height.

It took a little while, but they eventually managed to get the hang of it.

Soon they were dancing all over the room.

Alexei couldn't help the small smile forming on his face when he saw them, smiling and laughing.

Maybe this could work. Anya was a natural at almost everything she tried.

As if she had done it all before.

No. She didn't. She was just a natural. That was all it was. She was a natural.

That was all it could be, because Alexei wouldn't let himself think that there was something else.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am yet again posting something at midnight. i really need to go to bed
> 
> this chapter does have a nightmare to begin with, so if that sort of thing bothers you, you might want to skip down to "Alexei woke with a start"
> 
> and I've never really written dreams/nightmares before so I'm not really as proud of it...
> 
> still i hope y'all enjoy it!

It was the night of the ball, the final ball. Alexei was a child again. He was happy. Alexei danced with his sisters through the evening, pulling on the buttons of his suit and messing up his hair, despite Mother's warnings that he must remain presentable.

"Dear Alexei," his mother crooned. "What on Earth have you done with your hair?" She ran her gloved fingers through it, trying to put it back into place as Alexei tried his best to remain still. "It is nearly time for the pictures," she whispered as she leaned down to get closer to his level, her beautiful dress flowing out far around her. "Go off and find your sisters," she urged.

"Will do, Mama," he said, then ran off to in search of his sisters.

He found Tatiana first, talking with—or at—one of the ball's guards. He informed her of what Mother said, then went off to find others. Then he found Maria on the ballroom floor, one of the few still dancing.

Then he found Anastasia. She took his hands again and they began dancing once more.

"Mama said it's almost time for pictures," he told her, then the two of them danced over in that direction. Olga and Father had found their way there on their own, and Maria and Tatiana had gathered too. Alexei sat down beside Anastasia just like he had before. A picture was taken, then others joined in for another.

The picture was about to be taken when the camera was no longer a camera.

It became a gun, many of them, pointing at their faces.

Alexei looked around frantically. He seemed to be the only one to notice the change.

"Mama?" he asked, the guns still pointing at their faces.

His mother remained still, prepared for another picture.

Then the shot ran out. All the guns fired, and Alexei watched red blossoms stain the pink dresses of his sisters, his father's white and gold coat, and his mother's beautiful white and silver dress. He watched them all fall backward, the stain of blood only growing.

Alexei screamed, calling out for them all, but no one could seem to hear.

He lunged forward, crying into his mother's skirt.

Then there was a quiet noise. Alexei barely heard it.

He glanced up, trying to see what had made the noise through his tears.

There it was again. The same, quiet noise, like breathing, coming from beside him, where Anastasia lay.

Alexei dragged himself to her side. He looked at his sister for a moment, bringing his hand up to stroke the side of her face, which was when her hand seized his and clutched it to her blood-stained chest.

"Paris," she whispered. "Alexei, don't let me forget... Paris..."

She went quiet again, her hand growing cold but not letting go of Alexei's hand.

"Anastasia!" he cried. "Come back!"

Alexei felt a hand on his shoulder trying to gently pry him away from his family.

"No!" he screamed. "Don't touch me!"

The hand moved to his arm, pulling more roughly until Alexei could no longer hold on to his sister's hand.

"Paris..." she breathed once more.

Alexei turned around, trying to see the person forcing him away through his tears.

Something about them seemed vaguely familiar. Something about the dark eyes and black hair that Alexei had seen before, but he didn't know from where.

"Come with me," they whispered. "You can't stay here any longer."

Alexei felt himself being taken into the person's arms and he saw no further.

Alexei woke with a start, letting out a scream. He immediately clamped a hand to his mouth, hoping that he hadn't woken any of the others.

Anya, Dimitri, and Vlad had managed to convince Alexei to stay with them in the Yusupov Palace. They'd said it would be simpler and more efficient for them all. Alexei had desperately wanted to refuse. He didn't want to stay here any longer, but he knew that he couldn't refuse them. Not in a way that would convince them without telling the truth, and he could never do that.

Something about staying in the Yusupov Palace had released his night terrors once more, he assumed. Alexei used to have them nightly. He used to not be able to sleep, nor would he even be willing to try to sleep, because of the fear of that night returning in his dreams.

Since then, Alexei hadn't had so many night terrors. Once in a while, they would still return, but he'd managed to go quite a long time without any nightmares.

He was still haunted by that once one night, which was to be expected. It was a terrible, gruesome, horrific night, and more many more people than himself were haunted by it.

And he didn't even remember that much of it.

"Sacha?" Anya's soft voice called out from across the room. "Was that you?"

Alexei sat up. "Anya? What are you doing away awake so early?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Alexei watched Anya sit up from partially across the room. "Nightmares?" she asked.

Alexei nodded, then realized she probably couldn't see the slight movement through the darkness, and instead added, "Yes. What about you?"

"I have them nightly," she told him. There was a rustling noise and Alexei watched Anya in the dim light cross the room over to him. "Snippets of what I think is my past, like what I said today. Or yesterday. I don't know what's true and what's not, but the same people visit me every night. I don't remember a time when I didn't see them when I sleep. What about you?"

Alexei hesitated. "I used to have nightmares every night. The same one, or a similar variation, every single night. Something I do remember, but not in the way I remember it. The... the night when my parents and sisters died. It still haunts me, all these years later. I don't have a lot of nightmares anymore, but I think... something about this plan, what we're trying to do, may have triggered something to start again."

"Mhm," was Anya's only response.

She leaned her head against Alexei's shoulder.

"Do you think I could really be the Grand Duchess?" she asked him.

 _Yes_ , Alexei found his mind saying.

"Vlad and Dimitri do, but I'm having a hard time believing it. What do you think?"

"I... I don't really know for sure. All the Romanovs did die that night."

"You're right, this is stupid." She started to stand up.

"But," Alexei added, "if there is a chance that one of them could have survived, I think it would be you."

"You do?"

Alexei nodded. "Besides, it doesn't matter if you are the Grand Duchess or not. We'll get to Paris, and if you aren't the Grand Duchess, we'll still be out of Russia."

She nodded. "That's what Dimitri and Vlad said."

"They're right. We'll get out of Russia, and we'll go from there." 

Alexei didn't see why he had to be the one easing everyone else's fears and concerns. He was far younger than the rest of them. He was barely older than a child.

But he'd been forced to grow up quickly. He had no other choice. He'd lost his childhood that night, but at least he hadn't lost his life.

Just once, though, Alexei wanted to not have to be the 'adult.' He didn't want to be the responsible one. He wanted to be the one being comforted, instead of the comforter. He wanted to be held and told that everything would be alright while he cried. He wanted to be a child again, but he knew it would never happen. He'd passed that point in his life. There was no going back. 

Not unless it was in his nightmares, anyway.

Alexei figured that for as long as they stayed in the Yusupov Palace, his nightmares would return. Every night he stayed here, he'd be haunted by his past again.

He could always leave, decide that he didn't want to stay in the palace any longer, but it wasn't as simple as that. Nothing was simple, as much as he wished it would be. 

Alexei would just have to deal with his nightmares until they got out of Russia.

Which was fine. He'd dealt with nightmares before. What would be so different about these ones?

Nothing. He tried to convince himself of that.

The nightmare he just had was no different from the others he had before. He knew how to deal with them. He'd be fine.

Before Dimitri and Vlad woke, Alexei decided it was time for him to head out. He had to get back to his job.

Anya followed after him.

Dimitri stirred just as Alexei and Anya were beginning to leave.

"Hm? Where you going?" he asked groggily.

"Work," Anya reminded him. "Remember?"

"We'll be back later," Alexei assured, then he and Anya resumed their way out.

They separated rather quickly after leaving the palace, going their separate ways to work.

When Alexei's work for the day finally ended, he headed back to the palace.

He battled with himself at the entrance.

He could leave, right now, leave them all behind, and work his way to leaving on his own. There was less risk there, and he'd never have to deal with the nightmares from staying in the palace again. It might take him longer to save up money to leave, but he could do it, on his own. He had plenty of money saved. Maybe he would just need to work a little harder to earn more quickly.

But then, borders were being closed left and right. Soon, there'd be no way out of Russia. Alexei had to stay with Vlad, Dimitri, and Anya, or else he might not be able to leave ever.

Besides, he liked the three of them. Yes, they were dangerous to be around, but he liked them. Dimitri had basically taken Alexei under his wing when Alexei was a child. Dimitri was like a brother to Alexei.

Alexei looked up at the palace that towered over him. From the outside, it seemed to be empty. The curtains were all drawn, and no light came through the curtains to the outside. No one would know just what was happening on the inside.

Alexei breathed deeply, reminding himself just what all of this was for, then stepped inside.

He lingered in the hallways for longer than he had before. Now he was alone, and he could experience it all much better.

He peered down every dark hallway, closing his eyes and recalling just what it had looked like before.

It was when he got to the ballroom that he fully stopped. He entered the ballroom, recalling just what it had looked like before during the final ball. It was the final ball of the season, but no one could have expected it to be the actual 'final' one. 

A thick layer of dust coated the entire, room, even the checkered pattern of the floor.

Alexei closed his eyes again, his feet moving gracefully across the floor, echoing every motion he had made that night. Every dance he'd participated in, every step he took.

For a moment, it felt like he wasn't alone. That there was someone there, with him, but he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes, not yet.

In his mind, as he danced, he could envision the night. He could see his sisters, his mother and father, all the guests.

The room no longer felt cold and quiet. It was full of life and laughter. The same noises filled his ears. The clicking of shows shoes on the floor, the loud chatter, his sister's laughter as he danced with them, his mother’s fussing over his appearance, his father's booming voice especially audible over the rest of it. He remembered it all much more clearly than he had thought. The memory had faded slightly over time, but it all came rushing back in this room, this beautiful ballroom.

For just a moment, he could imagine himself being happy. He could imagine the person he was today, still dancing with his sisters at the balls, getting lessons from his father, his mother still fussing over his hair or his suit. He could imagine it all the way it could have been. If that one night had never happened. If they were allowed to continue their life as it had been.

Alexei eventually had glided his way over to the other edge of the ballroom, where they had posed for pictures.

He finally forced himself to open his eyes. The room looked mostly the same as it did when Alexei entered, except for the clean tracks in the dust where he had danced.

Alexei glanced around the room again, then without a second thought, dashed out and back on his way to the theater where the others were likely waiting.

Vlad and Dimitri seemed to be in another lesson with Anya when he finally made it to the theater. Alexei slipped inside and sat down against one of the walls, listening to the lesson.

He gathered quickly that it was another family history one, and they appeared to be quizzing Anya at the moment.

"Who is your Great-Grandmother?" Vlad asked.

"Queen Victoria," she answered immediately.

"Great-Great-Grandmother?"

Anya hesitated this time. "Uh—Princess Victoria of Saxe-Colburg-Saalfeld."

"Your best friend is?"

"My little brother, Alexei," she replied confidently. Alexei looked up immediately.

"Wrong!" Dimitri exclaimed. Alexei had to keep himself from intervening. "Your best friend is?"

"I know who my best friend is!"

"What a temper."

"I don't like being contradicted."

"That makes two of us!"

"Continuing on," Vlad interrupted before the argument could escalate. 

Alexei was in a stupor. He didn't even notice what they taught next.

It had always been clear to others around them that he and Anastasia were close, but Alexei was rather certain that no one outside of the two of them knew that they considered each other best their best friend. That would be why Dimitri and Vlad had it wrong.

But then how did Anya know?

She wouldn't, unless she really was...

Unless she really was Anastasia. 

But she couldn't be. Anastasia had died, with the rest of his family. He'd told himself that many times, but he still didn't quite believe it. Anya knew things that no one else did besides Anastasia and himself. Anya was a natural at bowing and many other things that had been ingrained into them since childhood.

And there was her appearance. She had the Romanov eyes.

Alexei found himself starting to believe that she really could be his sister. 

"Sacha!" he heard Dimitri call for him. "Are you listening?"

Alexei stood up, nodding. "What is it?"

"We're working on dancing again," Vlad told him. "And this time, you will be practicing with Anya."

Alexei looked to Anya, who shrugged. Alexei understood the shrug to mean 'don't blame me. They insisted.' 

"I don't think that's really necessary," Alexei tried, but Dimitri seized his arm and dragged Alexei towards the center of the room.

Vlad tried to instruct him on the starting position, but Alexei formed it naturally.

Vlad didn't react, only started on the next part of the lesson.

When Anya and Alexei started to dance, both Vlad and Dimitri went silent, since Alexei was already an expert. They danced around back to the center of the room and stopped, which was when Vlad seemed to finally be able to say something.

"Where did you learn to dance, Sacha?"

He shrugged. "I've known for most of my life. Can I go back to the corner now?"

Vlad nodded, and Alexei walked back over to where he had sat. 

Alexei didn't pay attention to the rest of the lessons for the day. He couldn't bring himself to. He wouldn't let himself keep listening, because it just might solidify the very thing he was afraid to think.

When lessons ended, they all had a bit of bread and cheese for dinner, then they all settled down to sleep.

Except, Alexei didn't dare to fall asleep, for fear of the nightmares returning. 

But it also meant he could continue to think, which wasn't exactly a good thing either.

Now his mind was pointing out all the reasons that Anya could very well be his sister. His heart wanted to believe it just as much, but there was a small part of him that wouldn't let himself believe it. He couldn't entirely bring himself to believe that any of his family had survived. It would only lead to more pain and disappointment later when it was proved that she wasn't his sister, that they had all died that night.

Eventually, Alexei could no longer keep himself from slipping off into sleep.

And the terrors began again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also in case anyone noticed the change in chapter numbers, it's because i added an epilogue at the end


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More nightmares in this chapter. if that bothers you, skip down to "Alexei shot upward"
> 
> Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

Alexei was in the ballroom again. He was alone this time, but the ballroom was just as elegantly decorated as it had been for all the previous balls. He thought, for a moment, that he was just the first person to arrive at the ballroom, and everyone else would come later.

He looked down at himself, seeing him just as he looked now, but not in the raggedy clothes he'd been wearing. He saw himself wearing a suit like the ones he hated wearing to all the balls. White and gold, just like his father's suit.

Alexei looked back up at the ballroom, walking over to the doors and peering out to see if anyone was coming.

The halls were dark and empty. Alexei couldn't see very far down them with the light that came from the ballroom, but there was certainly no one there.

He came back inside the ballroom and turned around, only to realize that he was no longer alone. While he had looked out one entrance—the main one—someone else had entered silently through another, and they now stood in the center of the room.

Alexei recognized the person as Anya, but not the Anya he knew as she was. She was wearing a ballgown, soft pink and white, with decorations and swirls of silver. Her simple crown matched her dress, and a pale blue bow was tied at the back of her head, where usually it would be a pink bow, to match the dress.

It was Anya, that was for certain, but she was dressed just as Anastasia had been on the last night Alexei had seen her. He was dressed just as he had been on that night too.

"I do hope you haven't let me forget," she toyed. "I did ask you to make me remember, did I not?"

Alexei nodded, his feet moving towards her.

"Paris, wasn't it? I wanted you to remind me of Paris."

"I didn't need to," Alexei found himself saying. "You remembered it all on your own."

Anya—Anastasia? Alexei wasn't sure anymore—took hold of Alexei's shoulders and they began to dance, twirling about the room, her dress swirling out behind her.

"I did, didn't I?" she laughed. "But I do think I'll need your help to remember the rest."

"How do I know it's really you?" he asked. "How can I believe that you've finally come back and that we're united again?"

"I guess you'll just have to decide," she said simply.

"On what?"

"On whether you believe yourself." They stopped dancing, Anya letting go of him and stepping back away from him. She turned around and began to walk away.

"Anastasia?" he asked.

She turned back towards him.

"I think this time," she said softly, "you're the one who needs to remember."

She disappeared again, and the screams began, deafening Alexei. He crouched down, his hands going over his ears.

The screams stopped. Alexei looked up to see his entire family standing in front of him, Anastasia back to what she looked like on that night.

They looked down at him, each whispering, "Remember."

"I do," Alexei insisted. "I remember. I remember it all!"

"Remember," they whispered again, then the red blossoms spread on their chests again, all of them falling to the ground.

"No!" Alexei screamed, but he was too late.

Alexei shot upward, managing to stifle his scream with his hand.

He stood up and began pacing the floor. He couldn't make sense of his dream. It didn't add up. He remembered, he remembered the night, then why did his dream seem to be warning him to do just that? What more could he remember?

Alexei left the palace early. He couldn't stay there any longer.

It became a routine. He'd leave the palace early in the morning, go about work during the day, come back after working all day, try to avoid getting pulled into the lessons during the evening, have a meager meal, then go to sleep (or avoid it for as long as possible). Then it would start again the next day.

It went that way for a very long time, even until the winter began.

Alexei was anxious to leave, but he wasn't about to bring that up anytime soon.

Anya and Vlad were doing another lesson that day, this time entirely in French. Anya once again surprised them by being fluent in the language, but Alexei found it didn't come as a surprise to him.

The more lessons Anya went through, the more she seemed to be Anastasia.

Alexei had stopped trying to fight his heart on this one, but he hadn't accepted it entirely. He was still looking for another reason that would prove that she couldn't be Anastasia, just so that he could keep himself from being hurt again.

Alexei kept the fact that he was also fluent in French to himself. They already had enough reasons to be suspicious of him. He refused to give them another.

After another long night, Alexei left early again. He'd hardly slept a wink last night, and now he had to get away. He had to get out of the palace before it haunted him further.

Alexei had almost made it to where he began the day when he was when he felt his arm seized.

"Come with us, comrade," a man urged. Alexei turned around, not trying to slip his arm out of the man's grip, and saw that it was an officer, along with two other officers with the one who had caught his arm.

Alexei knew he couldn't fight back or run away. He gulped and nodded. The officer didn't let go of his arm, but at least his grip wasn't too tight. Alexei allowed himself to be led away. He kept his head bowed and only looked up when he felt the grip on his arm leave as when they stopped.

He found himself in an office, with a view of the city below. There was a man at the window. Alexei could see his back, with a dark grey-green uniform. When he started speaking, Alexei recognized the man for who he was.

Deputy Commissioner Gleb Vaganov.

"It's a beautiful city, our Leningrad."

"What am I doing here?"

"Ah, straight to the point, I see."

Gleb turned around, and Alexei was struck by his dark eyes. And black hair. He motioned to the officers that stood behind Alexei, the three of them leaving.

Dark eyes, and black hair.

"Sacha, isn't it?"

Alexei managed to force himself to nod.

"Well, Sacha, we have reason to suspect you of breaking the law."

Dark eyes.

"There are rumors spiraling, I'm sure you've heard—"

Black hair.

"—rumors about the late Romanov family—"

Just like in his dream.

"—some believe one of the children to still be alive—"

Just like the person who had rescued him.

"—and some are attempting to use those rumors as an escape from Russia—"

It wasn't that out of the ordinary, though, Alexei tried to convince himself. Plenty of people had dark eyes and black hair.

"—and some believe that you are one of those people—"

Besides, it was only a dream. Alexei didn't know if the person he saw in his dream was the one who had actually rescued him. It was just a face his mind had conjured since he didn't actually know who had rescued him.

"—who are trying to escape Russia."

It took Alexei a moment to realize that Gleb had stopped speaking.

"It is only rumors, isn't it?" Alexei found himself saying. "You can hardly trust rumors."

"I agree," Gleb said, to Alexei's surprise. Gleb motioned to the desk behind him. "Have a seat."

Alexei forced his feet to move and lead him to the desk, sitting down in the chair in front of it while Gleb sat behind it.

"Unfortunately," Gleb resumed, "my position as the Deputy Commissioner does not allow me to discard any information, even if it is only a rumor. Which is why you are here. Now don't be alarmed," Gleb added when Alexei tensed up, an unexpected smile forming on his face. "As this information I have received is only a rumor, you shall not suffer any consequences." His kind smile dropped. "But I must warn you. If we find that this rumor is true, and you are working to leave Russia with a Romanov impersonator, our next meeting will not be a lighthearted one."

Alexei gulped. He was scared to imagine just what might be done if he was found out to truly be a Romanov if working with an imposter would suffer such consequences.

"So consider this a warning, comrade," Gleb said, the smile returning to his face. "If this rumor I've heard is, in fact, true, consider yourself lucky, because you have another chance to stop and return to a lawful life."

Alexei nodded. "Thank you... comrade," he added hesitantly. Gleb Vaganov certainly didn't seem to be as intimidating as he appeared while out in the street, giving speeches and going about his duties.

"I've seen you around, you know," Gleb continued, standing up and walking back to the window, gazing down at the busy streets below. "Going about your job, like a good, loyal Russian. Which is why it came as a surprise to hear this rumor. I was certain it must be wrong, as I've never seen someone more dedicated to their work than you, doing your part to make Russia a better place. But alas, I must heed every rumor I hear, and go about work, acting as if it were all true." He turned back towards Alexei again. "The Romanovs are dead, Sacha, all of them. It is best not to pretend like they aren't."

Alexei found himself being much more outlandish than he usually was. He dared to ask, "How would you know? How would you know whether one survived or not?"

Gleb let out a sigh.

"It may come as a surprise to you, comrade, but I was there that night. My father was one of the guards that fired on the royal family. It was... It was a terrible thing, but it needed to be done. The Romanovs needed to be overthrown in order for us to build a new, better Russia.

"I shall never forget the screams, the gunshots, but even the sounds of fear and agony were not the worst things I heard that night. By far the worst part was the silence. The entire family was dead. I heard it happen."

"But how would you know if one of them had gotten away before they were all shot?"

Alexei internally scolded himself. He couldn't keep asking things like this. He was going to get found out.

"Curiosity is a dangerous thing, my friend. It can lead you to learn things you wish you never had."

Alexei nodded. A voice inside his head urged him to keep asking, just to know if it might be possible that one of his sisters could have gotten away just like he did, but Gleb was right. Gleb had given him the chance to take back any question that could place suspicion on him, and he'd be a fool not to take it.

Gleb didn't speak again for a lone long while. Alexei stood up and started to walk slowly out.

"I give you one final warning, Sacha," Gleb began again, Alexei frozen in place as Gleb strolled across the room towards him. "As your friend, I warn you to be careful."

Sacha nodded and started to leave again, Gleb catching his arm. "And as the Deputy Commissioner, I warn you to be extra careful."

Gleb let go of his arm and Alexei hurried the rest of the way out. His heart was pounding, loud enough that he could barely hear himself think.

This was very bad news. If Gleb Vaganov was on their trail, then they'd be shut down before they ha were even close to actually leaving, and then they'd all be used as an example to was what happened to people who disobeyed their orders. The Bolsheviks always found out. They'd shut them all down, and soon.

If they didn't leave tonight, they might never be able to leave.

The borders were being shut down left and right, and even if by some miracle the Bolsheviks didn't find them out, it wouldn't matter because they'd be trapped anyway.

But Alexei knew that they hadn't the money yet. They weren't even close to having the money to leave.

And winter was coming on fast.

Alexei went about his job for the day, but his pay would be cut for the day since he was late. He tried to protest, saying it wasn't his fault, but his superiors didn't listen. They never did, not really.

All throughout the rest of the day, Alexei tried to come up with a plan that would get them away from Russia quickly, hopefully within the next day, because after that, their safety was even less of a surety. 

But even that wasn't the thought at the forefront of his mind.

Alexei knew why he had recognized the person from his dream. It was Gleb Vaganov, but as the way he had looked all those years ago.

If his dream was true, then Gleb Vaganov was the person who had saved him from certain death that night. Gleb Vaganov was the person who had rescued him from the palace and taken him to the orphanage, leaving before Alexei could see him.

Gleb Vaganov, who now worked with the Bolsheviks who were the very ones to kill the rest of his family. Gleb Vaganov, whose own father was one of the people who had shot and killed Alexei's family.

It didn't make sense, and yet, something about it felt right. It felt true.

But it was only a dream. His mind had conjured a face to fill the gap of the real person. It wasn't Gleb Vaganov who had saved his life, because it couldn't have been. His dream just needed a face, and Gleb Vaganov's was the one that his mind selected to fill the gap. There was nothing more to it than that.

Alexei pushed those thoughts away as his shift ended for the day and he started to head back towards the Yusupov Palace.

Alexei cast worried glanced across the streets, watching for any sign that someone was watching him, or even following him.

He bowed his head when he looked up at the building he'd been brought in to earlier that day and saw Gleb Vaganov standing at the window. He hoped that Gleb hadn't seen him looking upward, and he didn't dare to look up again until he was certain that he was out of sight from that building.

No one appeared to be watching or following him, but Alexei didn't let his guard down.

It only meant that if he was being watched or followed, they were quite good at remaining undetected.

That thought did not put him at ease.

Alexei continued to pass through the streets, intending not to stop until he had made it inside the palace and to safety (at least he hoped it was safety), but he found himself frozen in place nowhere near the palace.

He looked around to see where he had stopped. And why, for that matter.

He heard a faint noise coming from down an alleyway, and a flickering light like a fire.

He found himself heading toward the noise and the light.

It was quite dark outside already. The sun had set long ago. Alexei had been working in the dark for a while even before he started heading back.

This detour would certainly make it very late when he finally goat got back to the palace, but he made the detour anyway.

Down the alleyway, he found an open space, similar to quite a lot of others he'd been in before, but this particular one was new to him. He soon found out just what had caused him to stop.

There were only two people in this place, and it was Dimitri and Anya. They didn't seem to notice him, and he wasn't about to change that. He watched them for a little while, watching Dimitri hand something to Anya, who had her eyes closed and her hand outstretched.

Alexei recognized just what it was. A music box. Anastasia's music box.

"Open," he told her.

Anya opened her eyes. She smiled, inspecting the little golden music box.

"You've worked hard," Dimitri said. "You've earned it."

"What is it?" she asked.

"A music box."

"It's beautiful," she said in wonder.

"It's... broken. I can't open it."

Anya twisted the bottom of the music box then lifted the lid. A soft melody began to place play from the box, Anya seeming to leave their world and enter her own as she danced and sang to the music.

"How did you do that?" Dimitri asked, but she didn't seem to hear him. "Anya?"

If that wasn't enough to convince him before, now Alexei was even more sure of just who Anya was.

She really was the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov. Alexei's sister.

She wasn't pretending, and now Alexei could see that.

His sister was alive. She really was, and Alexei wasn't alone anymore.

At least, he wouldn't be, if she could only remember.

And maybe his dream was right. He needed to remember, too. But just what he needed to remember, he wasn't sure of.

Anya seemed to enter their world again as the music stopped. She closed the lid of the music box.

"How soon do you think we can go?" she asked. They're canceling trains right and left. Here," she reached into her pocket. "I worked an extra shift this week." She pushed the money into Dimitri's hands. "It's not much, but every little bit helps."

"We're not even close," Dimitri sighed. "Anya..."

"What are you saying?"

"I thought I could get us out before they closed the borders for good."

"You were the only hope I had."

"There must be someone else who can help you. I'm sorry." He held out the money back to her.

"No, I don't want your money," she refused.

"It's your money!"

"It's our money. I trusted you!"

"I said I'm sorry." Dimitri started to walk away.

"Did I not trust you enough?” She stopped. “Now you close your eyes."

"What for?" Dimitri asked as he stopped.

"You're the stubbornest person I've ever met," Anya exclaimed as she walked over to him. "Almost as stubborn as me."

Dimitri closed his eyes.

"Put your hand out," Anya commanded. Dimitri did so.

Alexei watched as Anya reached into her coat pocket and pulled out something, placing it in Dimitri's open palm.

"Alright open."

Dimitri opened his eyes and looked down at what Anya had placed there.

Based on Dimitri's reaction, it truly was something game-changing.

"It's... a diamond," he exclaimed in disbelief.

"A nurse at the hospital found it sewn in my underclothes," Anya explained. "She hid it from me till the day I would go. She said not to tell a soul till I had to, I had to make sure I found someone I trust."

"You've had it all this time, without telling me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It's the only thing I have, without it, I have nothing!"

"How do you know I won't take it now and you'll never see me again?"

"I don't think you will."

"If you weren't a girl, I'd..." he hesitated, then picked up Anya and spun her around.

Alexei felt someone run into him, which was quite a shock back into the world. He realized quickly that it was Vlad.

"Oh, thank god you're still alive," Vlad sighed. He pushed Alexei into the area and announced to Anya and Dimitri, "Disaster! The Yusupov Palace has been raided. We're done for if we go back—mother of Moses," he said in shock when Dimitri showed him the diamond.

"She had it all along!"

"I didn't trust any of you with it!"

"I don't blame you. But never mind, all is forgiven! I love you Anya!" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.

"Vlad, I'm trusting you to get the exit papers," Dimitri decided.

"Done!"

"Hurry! There's a train at midnight on the Finland station," Anya told them. She ran off to collect her overdue wages, the rest of them parting ways.

Alexei was not entirely sure where to go. He could always try to get his wages from his employers, but he wasn't entirely sure it would work. He'd probably get in more trouble than anything else.

And trouble was just about the last thing he needed right now.

Alexei wandered around, wondering just what to do for a good portion of the night, until he met up with Anya again, the two of them heading back to meet up with Dimitri and Vlad again.

"It's going to happen," Anya breathed. "Can you believe it?" It's actually going to happen."

"As much as I had always wanted this, I never thought it would actually happen, and certainly not so soon," Alexei agreed. "I can't help but feel something will go wrong."

Anya took his hand and squeezed it tightly.

"It's going to work, Sacha," she said with a smile.

Alexei couldn't help but believe that with her optimism.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah that was a whopper of a chapter. i have nothing to say for myself


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so again, nightmare warning. After 'it wasn't much, but it got them out of the cold,' skip down to 'Alexei woke again,' (though even in that section it kind of references the dreams so decide for yourself.

Everything went fine as they headed to the train station and met up with Dimitri and Vlad. Vlad had the papers, Dimitri the tickets, and they were all ready to leave.

Now they just had to wait for the time when the train would finally leave the station.

They were all on edge, and they had reason to be so.

If someone saw them here—any kind of guard or officer—they'd likely be killed.

Their entire future—or lack of—relied on this escape going well.

The train called for passengers going to Paris. That was them.

"It's a special train," Vlad told them. "Aristocrats and intellectuals. Everyone the Bolsheviks want to be rid of."

Vlad handed out their tickets and told them 'who' they would be traveling as.

Then the four of them wandered away slightly, each most certainly lost in their own thoughts.

Alexei saw a man, a tall man with a long black coat and hat, with a cane.

Alexei knew who it was. Count Ipolitov

Count Ipolitov saw Anya, fell to his knees, took her hand, and kissed it.

"God bless you," he whispered, then seemed to realize that everyone waiting for the Paris train was staring at him, stood up, and moved on.

He never once noticed Alexei.

"I recognize that man," Vlad said when Count Ipolitov had gone past them. "He's the Count Ipolitov. He's not just an aristocrat, but an intellectual as well. He's a dead man on both counts."

The train called for boarding.

"We should go," Vlad told them.

Alexei had never once left Russia. He'd never dreamed of it as a child.

Russia used to be his home. Alexei still felt some kind of connection to his home, his homeland., but he had to leave.

Russia wasn't home for him anymore.

Still, it pained him to leave.

 _Stay, I pray you,_ Alexei thought as silent tears fell from his cheeks. _Let me have a moment. Let me say goodbye to the land I once loved. The land I once could have called my own._

_Stay, I pray you._

They boarded the train, all four of them squished together in one compartment.

"This is outrageous!" Vlad exclaimed rather quickly. "I paid for first-class! We should be having champagne and caviar!"

"There is no more first-class!" said Dimitri. "Everyone is equal now."

"You don't have to sound so darn happy about it."

A fifth person—a stranger—slid into their compartment without speaking saying a word to any of them, forcing Dimitri and Anya—who were on one seat, to scoot over.

Anya began arguing with the man who'd barged in on them, which prompted him to get angry.

"Who the heck do you think you are?" he sneered.

"I am," Anya began slowly and confidently.

Warning bells went off in Alexei's mind.

"—the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov," she declared, every person seated around them noticing with fearful looks on their faces.

"I'm in a compartment with a crazy woman!" the man exclaimed, then ran out.

Dimitri exclaimed once they were alone again "Warn us next time before you do that!"

"I wanted to see what it felt like saying I was her," Anya explained.

"It's a long trip," Vlad reminded them "You have plenty of time to practice." He sat up straighter. "In Paris, your first challenge will be the Dowager Empress's Lady in Waiting, Lily. The Countess Malevsky-Malevitch. No one has access to her majesty without her."

"She sounds like a dragon," Dimitri said bluntly.

"Oh, quite the opposite. Lily was beautiful, voluptuous, married. Everything I look for in a woman," he said dreamily.

Alexei couldn't help but snicker. As a child, he'd heard little about this 'affair.' All news like that had been kept from him, but sometimes he'd still heard rumors, and Countess Lily's 'affair' was one of them.

"She gave me a watch, studded with diamonds," Vlad informed them

"Did you love her?" Anya asked.

Vlad chuckled. "Madly, darling. But I loved the watch more."

Dimitri laughed. "What happened to it?"

"Oh, gone, like everything else."

Both Dimitri and Anya stood up and left the compartment, going to different sections of the train car.

"I hope Lily's happy to see me," Vlad exclaimed, mostly to himself. "Be honest, Vlad Popov. How could she not be?"

Alexei watched Dimitri and Anya mumble to themselves as they wandered the train car, and Vlad blabbered on in front of him until they all came back to the train car and sat down.

Then the train stopped.

Two officers came down the train car, calling for papers.

"Papers," the officers demanded when they came into their compartment.

"Is there a problem?" Vlad asked.

"We're looking for someone who is illegally leaving the country," one informed them.

"Didn't have the right papers, eh?" Vlad laughed.

"He had the right papers he had the wrong name. Count Ipolitov."

Alexei felt his heart sink.

There was a gunshot. The officers rushed off. Anya turned towards Dimitri, covering her ears and closing her eyes. It took all of Alexei's strength not to do the same.

"I'll go see what happened," Vlad volunteered, standing up.

"We know what happened," said Dimitri.

Anya let out a quiet sob.

"Calm her down," Vlad ordered Dimitri. "Any tears will betray us."

Alexei closed his eyes and tried to slow his heart rate.

"We'll be safe soon," Dimitri said gently.

"That's what the soldiers said," Anya whispered, "when they were pointing their guns at us."

"What soldiers?"

"They said they were taking us somewhere safe. Toby's little heart was beating against mine."

Toby, the dog. Alexei had almost forgotten.

"'They're decent men,' I told him. 'They won't harm us.'"

"No one's pointing guns at you," Dimitri said harshly. "You're taking this too far, Anya!"

"If I really am her—"

"Shh. We're almost out of Russia. Once we cross the border, you're safe. We all are."

"You're putting all these ideas in my head. I'm beginning to think they might be true."

"I'm having a heart attack," Vlad exclaimed, coming back into their compartment. "Three officers just came aboard, with orders to arrest three men and a young woman!"

"That could be anyone," Dimitri reminded them.

"I don't think so!" Vlad unrolled a roll of paper, with their faces on it.

Oh, dear.

"What are we going to do?" Dimitri asked panicked.

"We're getting off!" Anya told them.

"But the train's moving again!" Vlad protested.

"Unless you want to end up like Count Ipolitov!" She started to climb to the outside of the train, her case in hand. Dimitri followed, then Alexei, Vlad yelling after them, but following anyway.

They dropped their suitcases off the train.

"Jump!" one of them—Alexei wasn't sure who—yelled, then they all did so, landing in the fresh and cold snow.

Alexei eventually managed to bring himself to sit up in the snow, looking around to see how the others had fared.

On one side that Alexei glanced, a groan escaped Dimitri's lips as he rubbed his forehead, and farther along Anya was already sitting up in the snow. On the other side, Vlad was still lying down.

As Dimitri stood, he volunteered, "I'll trek back to grab our stuff."

It was probably a long way back, based on the speed of the train.

Anya nodded. "But you shouldn't go alone," she pointed out.

"I'll go with you," Alexei decided, standing up and walking through the snow that up past his ankles towards Dimitri.

"Right," he said with a nod. "We'll be right back."

They didn't talk much as they walked back to locate where their cases had fallen, both too shocked to even entirely comprehend what had just happened.

They eventually managed to find their suitcases. Luckily, none of them seemed to be too worse for the wear. Each grabbed two—-since the four of them had only been able to bring one each, not that they had more than that—then started back.

Dimitri eventually started up a conversation.

"How are you feeling about all of this?" Dimitri asked.

Alexei shrugged. "I... I guess I never really thought I'd get this far. I always hoped... but there's a difference between hope and believing it."

Dimitri nodded, not glancing at Alexei. "And how do you feel about... what just happened?"

Alexei almost asked what Dimitri was talking about specifically since there was so much that had happened just in the past hour or two, but deep down, Alexei knew.

"About... Count Ipolitov?"

Dimitri finally glanced at Alec Alexei and nodded.

"It... it was terrible," said Alexei. He would have wiped the tears from his eyes were his hands available. "He was... I mean, he seemed like a kind man. I... I sort of wish we had been able to save him, and take him with us."

"It wasn't up to us to worry about him, Sacha," Dimitri reminded him.

"I know," admitted Alexei. "I just... wish it wasn't this way."

"But it won't be for long," Dimitri reminded him, playfully knocking into Alexei and pushing him off to the side a little. "Soon, we'll be in Paris, and this life will be behind us. We're almost out, and soon, we'll be rich."

Alexei put on a smile for that, but it didn't exactly make him feel any better.

Dimitri thought that Alexei wanted the same things he did, but it wasn't that. Dimitri wanted riches. He wanted comfort and Alexei... Alexei wanted a different kind of comfort. He didn't care about riches. He wanted a family because, for years, he'd been without one.

Until Anya fell right in the middle of Vlad and Dimitri's plan. She'd stumbled upon them, purely by chance, and now here they were.

Alexei had turned out to have family closer to him than he'd ever thought all along. she just didn't know it yet.

And Alexei wasn't entirely sure how to tell her, and even if he should.

Maybe it would be best to let her figure that out on her own.

Besides, Alexei doubted he would be able to convince her of anything. Right now was likely as close as Anya would get to believing that she was the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov she would get, at least, until their grandmother confirmed it. Anya would never fully believe anything unless she could remember it.

It was smart of her, to think like that, but it still made Alexei ache inside. He was here, reunited with his sister, his best friend, and she couldn't remember him.

It wasn't her fault. Alexei kept having to remind himself of that. If it was her choice, she would never have forgotten in the first place.

Or maybe she would have. There had been times, especially near the beginning, when Alexei wished he could forget everything, especially everything about that one night.

Maybe if he'd been given the option, right at the beginning, he would have chosen to forget, and start anew. It wasn't a terrible thought, Alexei had to admit.

But he pushed it away. He was so close, and he could no longer dwell on the past. He had to look forward, and forward only. It was the only way to survive.

Dimitri and Alexei eventually made it back to Anya and Vlad—who was still sitting down in the snow but at least wasn't laying down anymore.

"Ready to get moving?" Dimitri asked as he dropped Vlad's suitcase in front of him and Alexei handed Anya's to her.

There were mumbles from all of them, no one insisting that they should stay for a little longer, so they started walking.

"Are we going to be walking all the way to Paris?" Anya asked after a while. 

Vlad shook his head. "Just walking past the border into Poland, then we'll take a boat to France."

"And how far is Poland?"

Vlad didn't respond at first. Anya ran the short distance to catch up to where he was walking. "How far is Poland?" she repeated.

"Depending on the speed and how often we stop, it could take maybe six or seven days."

Anya went quiet. "Seven days isn't so bad," she eventually said quietly. "As long as we get to Paris." 

"And we will," Vlad assured her. "We'll get there."

Anya nodded, putting on a smile that Alexei could tell was fake. Alexei knew how to recognize when Anastasia's smiles were genuine and when they weren't, and this fell into the latter category.

When Anastasia smiled—really smiled—everyone around her knew it. It was a different smile than she would put on when she was forced to for the 'presentation' or the mischievous smile she'd wear when she managed to successfully prank someone. No, her genuine smile was so hard to come upon, and Alexei had only really seen it a few times. It only appeared when she was truly happy.

The last time he'd seen it was when they danced together at that final ball. Alexei had felt so proud, at getting her to smile like that, but soon the smile was gone when they were forced to take pictures, and then—

 _No,_ Alexei reminded himself. _You can't keep thinking about that. You have to stop._

Thankfully, the conversation—and with it, his own thoughts—drifted to a different topic.

They only stopped that night when it would be far too dangerous to keep going. It was dark, they were cold and hungry, and they had happened to come upon a small town where they could get a bit of food and a warm place to stay, for just a little while. the night.

It wasn't much, but it got them out of the cold.

Alexei slept fitfully.

He was at the train station again. Count Ipolitov was there. He kissed Anya's hand, stood up, then noticed Alexei.

He Count Ipolitov turned and bowed deeply to Alexei. "God bless you," he repeated to Alexei.

The scene shifted. Alexei was on the train when it had stopped. The officers were coming down the compartment train car, asking for papers.

It was just the same as it had been before. There was a gunshot. Count Ipolitov.

But the gunshots didn't stop there.

Blood flooded the train car. No one screamed.

Alexei lifted his feet up to the seat, the sight of the blood making him sick.

The train didn't start again, and the gunshots didn't stop.

Alexei looked up at Anya and Dimitri. Dimitri looked the same, but Anya was wearing the dress again. The dress that she had worn in Alexei's last nightmare. The dress Anastasia wore at the last ball.

The officers were solder soldiers now. They came down the train car, shooting everyone there until they made it to the compartment Alexei was in.

They lowered their guns for a moment. Alexei thought for a moment that they might be spared, then the soldier's guns raised again and fired.

Alexei woke with a start. He didn't scream. He couldn’t scream.

Alexei sat up and slid to the edge of the bed he was on, breathing heavily and trying to slow his heart rate.

"Nightmares?' Anya's voice asked.

"Uh, yeah," Alexei replied. "A particularly bad one."

"Hm. I wonder why," she said dryly.

The lights suddenly turned on in their room.

Dimitri and Vlad woke.

Then soldiers flooded their room, guns pointed at the four of them.

Alexei looked into the eyes of the soldiers and saw nothing. Not even life.

The soldiers fired at them.

Alexei woke again, shooting upward in his bed.

How did he know that this wasn't another nightmare? That this right here was real?

Alexei waited for something more to happen, for more gunshots, screams, or blood.

He was anxious the whole night, waiting for something else to happen, for him to find himself in another nightmare, but nothing happened.

It seemed he had broken out of it this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and yes. i posted this at midnight. again. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i try to get the actual dialogue from the show, but since the really good one with captions was taken off Youtube, I'm probably missing a lot of it.
> 
> there aren't any nightmares in this chapter

They started out again the early the next morning and were walking the entire day.

That was how most days went. Traveling, hardly stopping during the day, and finding a place to stay for the night, then starting out the next morning.

Alexei felt like they were making good time. Even him—who wasn't exactly someone to get tired easily—was really feeling spent by the end of each day.

Vlad turned out to be right. By the end of the 5th day, they were near the Polish and Russian border.

They were almost out.

They set out even earlier that next morning in order to catch a ship that would set sail later that day.

"Wait, wait!" Vlad called, breathing heavily, sitting down on his suitcase. "Anya can't go any further. She's exhausted."

"The Polish border is only ten more kilometers!" Dimitri exclaimed. "We'll be safe there!"

Dimitri took off again, Anya and Alexei following close behind.

"Wait for me!" Vlad yelled.

They made it out of Russia and into Poland safely. They made it to the boat before it left. The four of them would all be staying in the same small room on the ship, but at least they did have the room to themselves and didn't have to share it with any strangers.

And at least there were four separate beds.

Alexei spent most of his time on the deck of the ship.

He'd never ridden on a boat like this one before. He'd ridden smaller ones, just to cross a river, but a ship like this was a new experience to him.

A lot of this was a new experience for him.

Alexei leaned on the railing of the ship, staring out at the sea.

Over time, Alexei had gotten used to the constant rocking of the boat. It was subtle, but it was certainly there. In the beginning, Alexei had almost constantly felt sick, but he seemed to have overcome it. Most of the time, at least.

Everyone once in a while there'd be a particularly large wave that hit the boat, causing it to rock more than usual, and Alexei's seasickness would return, but it didn't happen often.

Just enough to make Alexei dread when it would happen again.

The boat portion of their trip lasted quite a while. Over that part, Alexei's nightmares happened less and less. Something to do with the fact that he was away from Russia, where it all happened.

It didn't mean he didn't have them, because he certainly did.

There had been multiple nights where he'd woken from a nightmare, and unable to confide in anyone about it, just rolled over to his side, curled in fetal position, and cried silently.

He didn't know of any other way to deal with these nightmares than that since he wasn't ready to confide in any of the others. Not yet.

They weren't out of danger yet. Alexei was almost certain that they would never be safe—completely safe—until they were in Paris, with his grandmother.

Until then, Alexei just had to continue to carry the burden of his secret and his past alone.

Alexei watched the gentle rising and falling of the ocean. Today was an especially calm day. There was only a slight rising and falling of waves.

The sky was clear and blue. The sun shone brightly on Alexei's face as the cool, gentle wind blew his hair around his face.

Alexei couldn't help but smile. It really was such a beautiful day. So different from days when Alexei had been forced to stay below deck with all the other passengers as the crew battled a raging storm. It had only happened a little, but it had certainly happened, and Alexei wasn't going to g forget it anytime soon.

But today wasn't like that. Today was beautiful and perfect, if not a little hot.

"So, Sacha," Anya's voice began as she stood beside him, laying her arms on the railing. "You said you had family, didn't you?"

Alexei nodded, pretending that her asking the question didn't bother him in the least.

"Sisters, you said."

Alexei nodded again.

"Tell me about them, wouldn't you?"

Her large blue eyes looked at him, almost pleading.

Alexei looked back out the ocean. "I had four sisters," he told her, trying to figure out just how much he could say without giving anything away. "Older sisters. I... I don't remember a lot of any of them, especially not the older three. But the one I was closest to, my sister that was just a few years older than I. She was my best friend." He looked down at his feet, trying to hold back his tears. He swallowed thickly then looked back out ah at the horizon. "We got into trouble all the time together. She was ruthless. She didn't seem to be afraid of anything. If... if she were still alive today, I don't think that would have changed a bit. "

Anya nodded was nodding when Alexei glanced at her.

"You mentioned a 'Toby,'" Alexei decided to say. "A dog. Yours?"

Anya nodded. "Sometimes my past comes back to me in snippets. I only recently remembered Toby, and I don't even remember that much about him. I'm not even sure I remember what he looked like. I just remember how much I loved him. I remember holding him and playing with him, sometimes with my little brother."

She stopped, looking down at her feet, seeming to process her words.

"I... I never remembered that I had a brother before." 

"That's good, isn't it?" Alexei asked, his heart soaring. She was starting to remember him. Of course, she didn't know it was him yet. Soon, though. Soon. "You're remembering your past."

Anya nodded slowly. "I'm just worrying that... if I do remember the rest of it, I might find something I don't want. I might... I might find out just why I forgot it all in the first place."

Anya and Alexei talked a lot through the remainder of the trip. Sometimes Dimitri or Vlad would join them. When Dimitri joined them, Alexei would often have to act as a peacemaker between him and Anya.

Though Alexei did see something different between them than what it had been before.

Before long, the boat docked in France and they disembarked.

"La belle France!" Vlad announced, kneeling down and kissing the ground.

Alexei was unimpressed.

"It looks like Russia!" Dimitri exclaimed.

"France looks nothing like Russia," Vlad said, standing up. "It looks like France!"

"Except Russia's more beautiful," said Anya.

"Russia is not the world!" Vlad exclaimed. "Open your hearts and minds to all this! Learn something—I'm getting emotional." Vlad wiped at his eyes. "The last time I was in Paris I was a young man—"

"Why have we stopped?" said Anya. "I'm going to ask the driver what's wrong." She charged off back to where the driver had stopped last, letting them out.

Dimitri watched her leave, a faint smile gracing his lips. "Look at her," he laughed. "Rattling off in French with him."

He ran back over to Vlad and Alexei. "You're taught her well. Don't be surprised if we get away with this."

 _I'd be surprised if we don't,_ Alexei thought.

"She'll break your heart, Dimitri," Vlad said quietly.

"Be quiet," Dimitri said, obviously trying to make it seem like he didn't know what Vlad was talking about, when it was very clear that he did. "What do you know about anything?"

"If they accept her as Anastasia, you'll never see her again."

"As usual, you don't know what you're talking about. Right, Sacha?"

Alexei shook his head. "I—"

He was saved from having to answer by Anya running back to them with a couple cases in hand.

"This is as far as he goes!" she told them. "But we're almost there! From the top of the hill, he says you can just see Paris!"

"Oh! Are you ready to be astonished?" Vlad asked, taking his case and beginning to run towards the hill.

Alexei grabbed his case and ran after Vlad, soon passing him

Alexei was the first up the hill.

He dropped his case in amazement.

Vlad came up behind him, putting an arm around Alexei's shoulders.

"Quite the view, isn't it?"

Alexei nodded. He couldn't seem to be able to get his voice to work. 

This... this was so beautiful. Paris was beautiful.

He was here. In Paris. After all this time, he'd made it.

He made it.

Alexei couldn't help himself from running down the other side of the hill towards Paris. He didn't stop to see if anyone else was following him, and at the moment, he didn't much care.

He was so close. Paris was within his grasp. Finally.

It was so close.

"Sacha!" Dimitri yelled after him. "Wait up!"

Alexei felt someone grab the collar of his coat and he was forced to stop.

Dimitri let go of his collar when Alexei had stopped.

"I know you're excited, Sacha," said Vlad, "but you've got to wait with us. We've got to stick together."

Alexei nodded. "Sorry. I just.. got caught up in the moment."

Anya caught up to them, her eyes and wide smile pointed to the city.

"The plan is to get checked in at the hotel," Vlad told them. Then we can go sightseeing in the city. Tonight, we'll see if we can find Lily. Until then, we can see as much of the city as you'd like."

Alexei nodded, itching to take off running again towards Paris, but he stopped himself.

He was just so excited. He was so close.

Alexei stared at the city in wonder as Vlad let led them to the hotel.

It became even more amazing when Alexei entered his room at the hotel. It was much too large for him, he found. It was much too large for one person.

Alexei ran towards one wall that was almost entirely windows. The curtains were drawn back. Alexei took hold of the door handles and pulled open the glass doors that led to a balcony. In awe, he stepped out to the balcony and stared at the city below.

From his hotel room, he could see the Eiffel tower.

Could today get any more perfect?

There was a knock at his door. Alexei barely managed to find his voice in time to say "Come in."

The door opened, Dimitri standing in the doorway.

"Vlad says we have to go shopping before we go see anything. It's important to look like we fit in and whatnot."

Part of Alexei had expected Dimitri to feel opposed to the idea, the other part of him knew Dimitri rather liked it. All of Alexei ended up agreeing with Vlad. If they were to be staying in Paris, they had to look the part. 

Alexei nodded, stepping back inside, closing the doors and curtains before he followed Dimitri out to the hall. 

Both Anya and Vlad were already out in the hall.

Vlad led the four other three of them back out to the streets of Paris and to the nearest boutique.

Somehow—within the next hour—Alexei felt like a completely different person. His hair—which he'd mostly given up on trying to keep nice—had been trimmed and styled, and he'd been fitted in a suit of dark purple and given a bunch of other suits to last him a while here in Paris, along with one particularly nice one that he'd wear tomorrow to the ballet.

That was part of the plan. The Dowager Empress would be at the ballet, and so they would too.

Still, Alexei was the first of their group done with the 'makeover' as it was called. Dimitri was done before too long. His hair having been trimmed and swept back. He was wearing a bright blue suit and carrying his own case of clothes.

Vlad was finished a while later. His beard had been trimmed along with his hair and he was wearing a dull green suit, but perhaps the most different part of him was his joyful expression.

Now they all had to wait for Anya.

It took much longer for her to be finished.

When she finally was, Alexei could hardly recognize her. Anya's usual crown of braids was gone and replaced with an up-do that was more akin to the style in Paris. Her dress was white and simple, with blue accents. She looked almost angelic, and certainly like she belonged.

Vlad had them all return to the hotel to leave the other clothes they'd bought before they went out sightseeing.

Vlad led the way through Paris, as he was the only one of them that had been here before.

Alexei hadn't thought the city could get any more beautiful, but he was wrong. He was so very wrong.

The view from his balcony was amazing, and possibly one of the best things Alexei had ever seen, but Paris was just so much more... _alive_ close-up. 

"I don't know about anyone else," Dimitri said when the sun had started to set, "but it's been a long day. I'll be at the hotel." He ran off without another word. Alexei couldn't help but smile.

"Don't use up all the hot water!" Vlad yelled after him. "I've never seen him so happy," he added to Anya and Alexei.

Vlad turned around, glancing at a street h behind them. "I'm going to try to find Lily," he announced.

Alexei watched Anya straighten Vlad's bow-tie

"I'll start at the Neva Club." Vlad began to leave, Alexei deciding to tag along. Anya stayed to continue sightseeing.

Alexei followed Vlad to the Neva Club. The gatekeeper let Vlad in right away but stopped Alexei. Vlad didn't seem to notice. He was too set on seeing Lily. 

"How old are you, young man? "

Alexei knew exactly where this was going.

"Nineteen," he mumbled.

"I'm afraid you aren't permitted to enter the Neva Club at this time," the gatekeeper told him. "But you're welcome to wait out here if you'd like."

Alexei angrily started to leave, quickly realizing that he should probably stay nearby, and ended up leaning against a wall of the club.

That was, until he saw something that made his heart sink.

Alexei quickly hid behind a plant that was near the entrance to the club before he could be seen.

"Welcome to Paris, comrade," the gatekeeper—Sergi?—greeted.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Only just off the train Russians wear shoes like yours," Sergi explained. "I had the same pair. Try the Russian tea shop on the Rue de Bac, number seventeen. Last I heard, they were hiring."

"I'm not looking for work, comrade."

"Good evening, Countess Lily," Sergi greeted. Alexei wanted to look to catch a glimpse of her, but he knew that if he moved, he'd be noticed.

"The only thing good about it is that it means one day less." They all went quiet for a moment. "I'm being Russian, Sergi! I love life."

By the sound of it, it didn't sound so true.

More people came along and went inside.

"Don't loiter, they won't like it," Sergi began again. "Go to the back door. Perhaps they'll give you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"Don't be so proud, comrade."

"I'd rather starve than eat their scraps. They make me ashamed to be Russian!"

Alexei waited in his hiding spot for another minute or two until he was sure it was safe. Then, without glancing back, Alexei took off back towards the hotel. He had to warn the others.

Because Gleb Vaganov was in Paris.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nightmare warning: skip from "not a very good one, as per usual" down to "Alexei shot upward and left his bed"
> 
> this is a whopper of a chapter, i guess. my condolences

Alexei pounded on Dimitri's door until Dimitri opened it. His hair was dripping wet, he was noticeably missing a shirt and was glaring daggers at Alexei, but Alexei didn't much care.

"We have trouble," Alexei told him. "Big trouble."

Dimitri's death glare softened slightly as he let Alexei inside.

Dimitri grabbed a clean shirt from his wardrobe and began to put it on as Alexei explained.

"So I went with Vlad to the Neva Club—"

"How did that go? Did he find Lily?"

Alexei shrugged. "She was there, but I wasn't allowed inside. I intended to wait for Vlad, but then... then..."

"Calm, Sacha. Just say it."

"Someone was sent after us. The Bolsheviks know we're here."

Dimitri cursed under his breath. "Who?"

"Gleb Vaganov," Alexei replied.

This time the curse wasn't under his breath.

"What do we do now?" Alexei asked.

"I..." Dimitri ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know. We can't just give it all up, though. Maybe... maybe Vlad will know when he comes back."

"Is Anya back?"

Dimitri nodded. "Immediately went to bed. She's probably asleep right now."

"So we probably shouldn't wake her," Alexei decided, Dimitri nodding in agreement. "We'll tell her tomorrow," Alexei decided.

Vlad burst into Dimitri's room, a dreamy look on his face.

"I'm guessing you found Lily," Dimitri said dryly. 

"What gave it away?" Vlad asked, seeming to not notice Dimitri's sarcastic tone.

"Oh, nothing. So what's the plan?"

"Lily knows we'll be at the ballet. She's agreed to try to get Anya in to see the Dowager Empress after the ballet. After that, it's out of our hands. This could work. We're so close—"

"We've been followed," Alexei said bluntly.

Vlad turned to him. "What did you say, Sacha?"

"We've been followed," he repeated. "The Bolsheviks sent someone after us. Gleb Vaganov. He's here, in Paris. I saw him, outside the Neva Club."

"Did he see you?"

Alexei shook his head. "I made sure of that. But what do we do if a Bolshevik is following us?"

Both Alexei and Dimitri turned to Vlad.

"Well... we can't exactly give up, can we?" Vlad began slowly. "After how far we've cone come, we can't just give up. "

"What do we do then?' Dimitri asked.

"Be extra careful," Vlad answered. "We lie low until the ballet. Once we're there, it's too late for him. After that, Anya we will be where she belongs, and we'll be gone."

"So that's it?" Alexei prodded. "Just... lie low?"

Vlad nodded. "It's all we can do. The faster we move, the less likely we'll be caught. If we lie in wait for the Bolshevik to leave, he'll find us. We have to move quickly, so we stick with the plan."

Dimitri nodded. "Sure thing, then. Now can you two please leave my room?" 

Alexei went to into his own room, preparing for bed.

He couldn't get comfortable on the bed. It was too soft. Too.. much. It didn't feel right.

He eventually did manage to drift off to sleep.

Not a very good one, as per usual.

Alexei sat in a box in the theatre and watched the ballet. He tried to watch it, at least, but he felt his gaze drawn away many times. Sometimes he looked over at Vlad, Dimitri, and Anya, who sat in the box with him, but whenever he looked at them, their faces were blurred. He couldn't see them clearly.

So he looked back to the ballet. At least he could see that clearly.

He watched the dancers glided across the stage. Never once did they seem to touch the floor. Dresses and capes flew out around the swirling figures. Alexei was entranced by them, but he still looked away. He looked across the theatre, his gaze catching another box. He saw his grandmother, sitting there, beside Countess Lily.

His grandmother looked different from before. She looked less kind soft and kind, and more cold and hard. Grief had hardened her. Alexei could tell.

After staring at her for a moment, her face began to blur, too.

Alexei looked back to the stage. There was one lone dancer in the center of the stage at the moment. She jumped and twirled all over. With just a single dancer, the whole stage seemed to be filled. Another dancer came on, and the two danced together. More dancers came on, three dancing together taking the center stage while the other two drifted off to one side.

Then the music changed. It became darker. The original dancer took the center stage with this new one. Alexei watched them dance around each other, then there was a gunshot. And another. And another.

There was a sharp pain in Alexei's chest as he fell backward.

His chair crashed to the cold, hard floor of the ballroom. Alexei rubbed the back of his head as he stood up. There were people all around him, dancing. Anastasia rushed over to help him up, but his mother stopped her and helped him stand before Anastasia could.

"You must be more careful, dear," his mother told him. Alexei had heard this many times.

"Mama, what is going on?"

She didn't seem to hear him.

Anastasia retook Alexei's hands and they began to dance.

The night played out in his mind just as it had in real life.

He gathered his sisters for pictures, each of them sitting still as the pictures were taken. The gunshots began. Alexei stuck close with his mother but still ended up alone.

This time, he stayed awake. He waited for the person to find him. Waited, knowing that they would come.

Alexei stood in the center of the empty room, looking around for whoever would come to save him.

There was a soft noise—like a footstep—that interrupted the silence.

"Who's there?" Alexei called.

A man stepped out of the shadows. A man that Alexei had come to know.

"This isn't how the story went, is it?" he asked. "I think you're supposed to be asleep at this point, if I’m not mistaken.”

The man that stared back at Alexei was the same man who Alexei had been running from all evening, and even before that.

Gleb Vaganov.

"I think the story was never supposed to end with me surviving," Alexei replied.

Gleb laughed. "You're right. I was never supposed to be here, much less save the life of a Romanov. I must say, though, I have no idea how you even survived to the point I found you. I don't know how the soldiers looked over your absence."

"What do you want?"

"Many things, Alexei. A better Russia, for a start. Answers would sure be nice."

"Answers for what?" 

"Nothing much, just why you would want to run from Russia, your home, a place that you could help to build up, even better than you could ever have thought, and why you had to drag in an honest, hardworking girl into all of this."

"You know she isn't what she seems. She is the Grand Duchess. She is really is."

Gleb pulled a gun from out of his suit coat, cocking it and preparing to shoot.

"No one besides me knows anything about who you are," Gleb reminded him. "You can always return, with me, and work to build up Russia."

Alexei shook his head. "Russia is dead. You can't fix it, and you can't make me come back with you. I'm here, I'm home, where I truly belong."

Gleb sighed. "I really would have preferred to avoid this, Alexei."

He aimed the gun and pulled the trigger.

Alexei shot upward and left his bed, pacing around his room. It was a dream. A dream. That's all it was.

The hotel room seemed to be suffocating him. He had to get out.

Alexei tried the balcony, but even that didn't help. he went back inside his room then headed towards his door, quietly heading out into the hall and hoping he wouldn't disturb anyone.

Alexei came upon Dimitri in the hall outside all their rooms, rather close to Anya's door.

"What are you doing?" Alexei asked, startling Dimitri.

"Didn't see you there," Dimitri said, regaining his composure as he leaned against the wall.

Alexei shrugged as he did the same, leaning against the opposite wall. He felt much better already. "I'm rather quiet when I want to be. So what are you thinking about?"

Dimitri let out a breath. "Tomorrow. The ballet. I guess I'm nervous, a bit, for Anya. I mean, what if this was all for nothing? And then there’s the issue of the Bolshevik…"

"It wasn't for nothing," Alexei reminded him. "We got out of Russia. We're here. That's what we were wanting, wasn't it?"

Dimitri nodded.

"Besides," Alexei continued, despite all the warning signals in his mind going off at once, "it's going to work. Anya really is the Grand Duchess."

Dimitri nodded. "She really could be."

"No, you didn't hear me. She really is the Grand Duchess," Alexei repeated. Dimitri looked up at him.

"How would you know?"

Alexei let out another breath, trying to figure out how he was going to say this.

"I'm not the person you always thought I was, Dimitri."

"Sacha? What do you mean?"

Alexei didn't respond.

"Who are you?"

Alexei stood up, straightening his back and preparing to repeat what had been ingrained into him since childhood, that he hadn't let cross his lips in years.

"I am Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov, Tsarevich of Russia." Dimitri stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Don't joke like that, Sacha!"

Alexei didn't move.

Realization seemed to dawn on Dimitri's face. "You... you're not kidding, are you?"

Alexei shook his head.

"So... so you really are the heir of Russia."

He nodded.

"And... and you never told us, not even when we were looking for you or one of your sisters to get here. You never said a word."

"I couldn't, Dimitri. I was in so much danger already. If someone, even you or Vlad, knew who I really was..."

"So we didn't even need Anya for all of this! We could have just gone with you, only three of us."

"Do you think we'd even be here if it weren't for Anya?"

Dimitri hesitated, then shook his head.

"And I can guarantee none of us would want to be here without her, either."

"But, you had so many chances to tell us."

"I couldn't, not even when we were out of Russia. I wanted to, I swear, but I was so afraid. I was just a kid, Dimitri, when it all happened. A child! I don't know why I survived or who saved me.” At least, not for certain. Pieces were starting to come together for him. “All I remember from that night, after the ball, is screams. Unearthly, terrified screams. My sisters, my Mama and Papa, all of them! I still hear their screams, almost every night! I can't escape them, but I knew that I had to find the only family I had left, my grandmother, here, in Paris, and I couldn't do that if others knew about me! I'm sorry, Dimitri, but I had no other way!" 

At some point during that, Alexei had burst into tears and collapsed to the floor.

He could feel Dimitri's arms wrap around him, Alexei unable to stop his tears.

He faintly heard another door open and someone step out, then Vlad's tired voice calling "What is going on here?" 

Alexei forced himself to sit up again, and lean his back against the wall, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes, but ultimately failing.

Then there was a scream. Anya screaming. Dimitri glanced up, Alexei slightly pushing him towards her door.

"I won't be much help," he said wistfully, then Dimitri rushed to her door and inside her room.

Vlad looked back at Alexei.

"What's got you like this?" he asked gently, much softer than Alexei had learned to expect from Vlad. "Sacha, are you alright?"

Alexei shook his head. "I'm not—I'm not Sacha," he panted, still trying to get control over his breathing.

"What... what do you mean?"

"I'm... I am Alexei, Nikolaevich, Romanov... Tsarevich of Russia," he managed to choke out. 

"Normally I wouldn't believe such a thing,” Vlad chuckled, “but it's not exactly the strangest thing I've heard—or seen—tonight." 

"So... so you believe me?" Alexei asked.

Vlad nodded, sliding his arms beneath Alexei's legs and around his back and lifting Alexei off the ground. "But I do think it's time for you to get to bed, young Tsarevich," he teased.

Alexei nodded faintly, barely feeling any movement at all as Vlad carried him to his room and set him on the bed.

Even before Vlad had left the room, Alexei was fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to everyone for reading this! i love you all! <3


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no nightmares in this chapter

Alexei found that he had gotten the best night of sleep in a long time after what had happened last night. He certainly was exhausted. He hadn't expected to reveal his true identity to anyone, especially not so soon, until after he was able to be reunited with his grandmother.

But it would happen tonight, wouldn't it? Soon, he would be reunited with his grandmother, and officially with his sister.

After the ballet.

Alexei sat up in bed when he heard a knock at his door. "Come in," he said hoarsely, absentmindedly running a hand through his hair.

Vlad was there. He came inside and closed the door behind him as he came over and sat down at the end of Alexei's bed.

"I must say," Vlad laughed, "I'm having a bit of a hard time coming to terms with the fact that we brought not only one, but two supposedly dead Romanov children to Paris."

Alexei's face broke into a smile. "The odds."

"Are you feeling alright, son?"

Alexei's heart skipped a beat at the last word. Vlad seemed to realize what he had said.

"Oh, I'm sorry. If you'd prefer me—"

"No, no, it's fine," Alexei insisted. "It feels... good... to have someone call me that again."

"Anytime, son," Vlad smiled. "But that aside, are you feeling alright?"

Alexei nodded. "My head does hurt a little though."

Vlad nodded. "I'll see if I can find something to help with that." Vlad stood, then turned back. "And how would you prefer Dimitri and I refer to you today? Anya doesn't know. We figured you would prefer to tell her. It's up to you."

Alexei hesitated. "I think... for today, still call me Sacha? Act like nothing changed, maybe? Just until things are worked out. Then... then we'll see."

Vlad grinned at him. "Anything you want, Sacha. Now don't over-exert yourself. We can send up food, and I'll come and let you know when to start preparing for the ballet."

He began to leave again, but stopped when Alexei called, "Vlad?"

He turned around. "Hm?"

"Thank you."

"Anytime, Sacha. Now get some more rest."

This time Vlad did leave, closing the door behind him.

Only moments after Vlad shut the door, Alexei fell over backward onto his pillow again.

Maybe he'd understated it when he'd told Vlad that his head hurt a little. In truth, his head was pounding. He felt slightly sick, but it hopefully wouldn't turn out to be anything worse.

Vlad kept to his word. It wasn't long before food arrived at Alexei's room, along with a bit of medicine that was said to help with a headache.

Alexei spent most of the day stressing about tonight. The ballet.

Tonight, if everything went according to plan, he'd be with his grandmother once more, and Anya would finally discover she really was who she had been learning to be.

But if it went wrong...

Alexei didn't want to think about what would happen if it went wrong.

He couldn't deal with the thought of failing after he'd come so far. After all he'd been through, all the work he'd done to get here, he wasn't sure if he could handle another loss.

He couldn't lose the only family he had left when they were finally within his grasp.

Well darn. Now he was thinking about it.

Alexei finally managed to pull himself towards the balcony doors, pulling open the curtains, shutting his eyes at the sudden light. He opened the glass doors and stepped out to the balcony. 

Alexei looked out over Paris. It was so bright, so beautiful.

He was here. In Paris.

And soon, he'd be with his family.

Much later that day, after another meal had been delivered to Alexei's room, there was a knock at the dor. This time, Alexei—who was still feeling slightly sick, bust but still much better than earlier—went to answer it himself.

Vlad was there again. "You feeling better?" he asked softly.

Alexei nodded. "Thanks again."

Vlad nodded. "No problem. I came to warn you that we leave in an hour."

Alexei nodded. "Thanks for letting me know." He closed the door and went to the wardrobe in his room.

They'd gotten all these suits yesterday Alexei had hardly looked at it until now.

It made him slightly sick to look at it. Even the things he'd been wearing for the past couple of days were nothing.

This... this suit he would be putting on for tonight, even in its simplicity, was something far too close to what he'd worn before. It was another painful reminded reminder of the life he'd had before, and just how far he was from that now. Just how much he had changed from the boy he once way. was.

Alexei closed his eyes and breathed deeply. in deeply.

Then he started to strip off his clothes and chance change into the suit.

He put on most of the suit to begin with, fiddling with the white bow tie before going to the bathroom and trying to fix his hair.

He spent most of his time trying to fix his hair and make himself presentable.

Then he tried to steady his breathing again as he slipped on the suit coat.

Then he left his room, finding Vlad and Dimitri waiting for him outside.

Vlad looked up from his watch and smiled at him. "Ready to go?"

Alexei nodded. "Where's Anya?"

"She'll be meeting us there," Vlad told him, then they began to leave.

Alexei could hardly remember to breathe on the way to the ballet. Dimitri nudged him gently in the side. "You alright?" he whispered.

Alexei found that he couldn't speak, so he just nodded.

"It's going to work," Dimitri assured him.

Alexei nodded again. "It will," he whispered, mostly to himself. He needed it to. Desperately.

The three of them got out of the car in front of the theatre, entering the large building to wait for Anya to arrive.

Alexei positioned himself in a corner of the room, standing straight and still, his head slightly bowed as he hoped no one would notice him. He couldn't deal with people trying to spark up a conversation with him. Not right now, when he was only two hours or so away from what he'd been working to for years.

Alexei looked up when he heard the room go quiet.

Anya had entered, and she looked... radiant. She looked more like Alexei's sister that he could hardly believe.

Her dress was a deep, sparkly blue with a train of light blue that flew out behind her like a river. There were chains of silver beads all along the dress, over her almost bare shoulders, and even down her back. She wore no jewelry other than silver earrings. Her opera-length gloves were a clean white.

She smiled and took Dimitri's arm, then headed toward the box. Alexei watched them leave, seeing Vlad stare after them and then rush in behind them. Alexei kept himself from running to catch up with them.

He sat down in his seat only a few minutes before the ballet began.

Something seemed... familiar about where he was. The crowd, the music, the dancers themselves. He'd seen it all, just the night before, in his dream.

Alexei looked across the theatre and saw just what he had thought. His grandmother sat in the very same room as him. Countess Lily sat beside her.

Alexei's gaze stayed on that box for a very long time, eventually drifting back to the dancers on the stage. He felt bad for not watching the ballet, which was truly so amazing, the little he caught of it anyway, but he was distracted.

Alexei looked back up at his grandmother, then his gaze continued to drift upward.

There was another box above the Dowager Empress's. It wasn't a private box, like hers was.

Alexei thought he could feel his heart stop.

Because in that box, sat Gleb Vaganov.

They'd been found.

Alexei swallowed nervously, his heart rate increasing drastically when he realized that Gleb wasn't watching the ballet either. he was watching their box. He was watching Anya, and possibly Alexei, too.

He locked eyes with Alexei from across the theatre.

Alexei felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

Alexei couldn't tell Gleb's expression from across the theatre, but he could tell that the man was staring directly at him.

This was bad, very bad.

And if the rest of Alexei's dream turned out to be true—which he was starting to believe it might be—it would be a whole lot worse than it was right now. 

Alexei wasn't even sure what to think of anything any longer.

Because if his dream was true, then Gleb... Gleb Vaganov....

Gleb Vaganov saved his life.

And quite possibly had orders to end it, too.

Alexei felt himself beginning to grow sick.

He tried to keep sitting there, pretending to be unbothered, and watch the ballet, but he never felt Gleb's eyes leave him. He was only feeling worse by the moment.

Alexei stood up and left the box, mumbling that he needed to use the bathroom so that he'd be left alone.

He stumbled through the entrance entryway, trying to locate a bathroom he could lock himself in.

He managed to find one, immediately tearing off his gloves, shoving them into his pockets, and splashing cold water in his face.

He breathed deeply, forcing himself to calm down, which was when he heard someone clear their throat from behind him. 

"Fancy seeing you here," an eerily familiar voice spoke. Alexei turned around, backing up into the wall and wishing that he had something to defend himself with.

Gleb took a step closer to him. "Now what would any self-respecting Russian be doing here, in Paris?"

Gleb continued to step closer to Alexei, a devilish grin on his face.

Alexei gulped. "I think you know full-well I what I'm doing here." 

"Do I?"

Alexei nodded. "It's because of you that I'm here, isn't it?"

Gleb stopped, his grin faltering.

"Now why would you think something like that?"

Alexei forced himself to step away from the wall and hold himself straight and tall. "Because you saved my life that night, ten years ago, didn't you?"

Now it was Alexei's turn to step forward.

"You weren't supposed to be in the palace, but you were anyway. You heard something amongst the silence, the cry of a child, and you couldn't help but rescue him, even if he was your enemy. Because you have morals, you have compassion, and you couldn't let a child lay there and die, could you?" 

Gleb reached into his coat and pulled out just what Alexei had expected. A gun. He aimed it toward Alexei, pointing it directly at his head.

"You aren't a child anymore. You no longer have that same innocence to protect you. I could finish it, here and now, and then finish off the rest of the Romanovs."

"I don't think you will'" challenged Alexei, which was, admittedly, a rather stupid thing to say. 

"You don't know me," Gleb spat.

"You're right, I don't," said Alexei. "I have no idea who you are, but I do think you aren't just like those soldiers in Yekaterinburg. You aren't like the people who killed my family. You aren't like them."

Gleb's hand began to shake, not much, but enough for Alexei to realize that what he was saying really was true.

"If you were like those soldiers," Alexei began with renewed confidence, "you wouldn't have saved me. You would have left me there to die, or even turned me in yourself. There's a reason you saved me, I know there is, and I don't think it's just because I was a child. You never wanted any of them to die, anyone at all, did you?"

Gleb shook his head slightly, beginning to lower the gun. "But it was a necessary evil."

"You don't really think that, though, do you? You tell yourself you do, but you don't. You don't believe that death was necessary."

"The Romanovs were a plague on Russia!" Gleb exclaimed, pointing the gun back at Alexei's head. "And they will continue to be until they are all gone. Dead. That is the only way that Russia can finally be free."

"Russia is free! We've left, and we're not going back. Can't you see that we've abandoned our homeland? Build up Russia to what you want it to be, u but don't inflict more unnecessary bloodshed. You're free, Gleb, along with all of Russia. Just let us go, and you will be."

Gleb slowly lowered the gun once more, stuffing it back into his coat.

"You will walk right back into the theatre," Gleb ordered, "and act as if nothing has happened here, understood?"

Alexei nodded.

"And we aren't through. Be sure of that."

Gleb opened the door for Alexei, who walked back towards the box, turning around when he was nearly inside to see Gleb leaving the theatre.

Alexei knew he'd see Gleb again, and likely soon. After all, Gleb had just said that this wasn't over.

Not yet.


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no nightmares in this chapter

Alexei did as Gleb ordered him, returning to the box and taking his seat again. He pulled his gloves out of his pockets and slipped them on again, trying to watch the ballet, but ultimately failing.

"Where'd you go?" Dimitri leaned over and whispered.

"I just needed a moment to breath," Alexei replied.

Dimitri seemed to deem that a good enough answer and left him alone for the rest of the performance.

Immediately after the ballet ended and bows were over, the four of them left the box and when around towards the Dowager Empress's box.

Alexei lingered behind the rest of them, not entirely sure how he should go about this.

Anya didn't know who he was, not yet.

He could let her go in alone, for the Dowager Empress to meet with Anya first before he entered, see if Anya remembered who he was before he revealed it to her, or he could go in with her.

Alexei wasn't entirely sure he was ready for either.

Everything he knew—he thought he knew—didn't feel so right anymore. Everything had fallen apart in just the past day.

Alexei had never dreamed that Paris would do this to him. He'd always dreamed that once he found Paris, he was home.

This... this wasn't home. It was just... confusion.

Confusion was no home.

He wanted to know why he was here, alive today, and why Gleb had saved his life.

There was something more to it. Alexei knew that much. More than just compassion for a child.

And Alexei got the feeling he just might find out before too long.

Anya ended up going into the Dowager Empress's box by herself. Alexei waited anxiously outside. He managed to refrain from pacing the floor, Dimitri faring slightly worse. 

To be completely honest, Alexei was relieved that Anya went in before him. Alexei doubted he could handle anything new at the moment. He was still trying to process what all Gleb had said, and all he'd learned. He was alive because of Gleb Vaganov. He owed his life to Gleb Vaganov.

That... that wouldn't end up very good, would it? If Alexei owed his life to a Bolshevik... what did that make him? What did that mean for him?

It wasn't good. That was all Alexei knew at the moment.

None of this was good.

And it only got worse when Anya came out of the box, her eyes full of tears.

"Anya?" Alexei mumbled, not entirely sure she could hear him or was even listening.

"What happened?" Dimitri asked.

"She wouldn't even look at me.” At first she sounded upset, then angry. “'Tell this imposter, Lily, I know her kind too well. She wants money and will break an old woman's heart to get it.'"

"Well, I'll tell her the truth," said Dimitri running towards the box.

"That I was a pawn in this scheme of yours?" exclaimed Anya, blocking his way. "That you made me think I might be someone I never was, or ever could be! I was cold, and hungry, and desperate when I met you, Dimitri, but I wasn't dishonest. I hate you for that." She charged out, Dimitri following her for a moment before stopping and letting her leave.

Alexei glanced back at the Dowager Empress's box, wondered for a moment how wrongly everything went, then took off after Anya.

"Anya," he tried to talk to her, but she refused to listen to him.

"Were you in on it too?" 

"Anya, I—"

"Did you know about this scheme?"

"I did, but—"

"So I never should have put my trust in any of you. You're all a bunch of lying thieves and I never should have spoken to any of you."

"Anya, it started as a scheme to get out of Russia, but it's more than that now. You are the Grand Duchess—"

"And how exactly would you know that?"

"I..." he stopped. Anya didn't remember him, not yet. Did he want to tell her? Right now? He had wanted to wait, to see if she would actually remember him.

"That's what I thought," said Anya before he could decide.

She entered her room and slammed the door in his face.

Alexei stood there and waited outside her door for a long while until Dimitri and Vlad returned from the ballet.

They knocked on her door, and for some reason, were allowed in.

Anya had changed into a dark velvet gown and was currently packing her things.

"It was my life you played with," she scolded them. "Telling me I'm someone else, letting me believe I was—what is this?" she picked something up from the table. Alexei couldn't get a good enough view to tell what.

"I bought it for you when we were—" said Dimitri.

"I don't want it." She threw it down to the ground and crossed the room again.

"Where are you going?" said Dimitri.

"Anywhere that's far from you," she replied.

"Anya," tried Vlad.

"No wonder you were dismissed from court," she said harshly. "Men like you deserve every bad hand life deals you. You all do." She turned back around and continued to pack her things, still rattling off to them.

Then someone else entered the room.

Alexei's heart nearly stopped.

The Dowager Empress had come to see them.

Vlad left the room with Lily who had come with the Dowager Empress, Dimitri taking the Empress's cane and leaving.

Alexei didn't move toward the door, but the Dowager Empress dismissed him too.

He left the room as he was ordered. He could hardly keep himself from falling apart then and there.

Alexei stood outside the room where his sister and grandmother were being reunited. He stood outside for a long time. His family was being reunited with each other, and here he was. Outside. Forgotten. His own grandmother had dismissed him. She didn't even look at him, and even if she had, she probably would have dismissed him anyway.

Alexei knew he was never his grandmother's favorite. That honor belonged to Anastasia, but he never thought that he might be forgotten and left behind like this.

For a woman who had been so desperate to get any of her family back, she certainly was being rather picky in who she wanted to be alive. On whom she accepted to be alive.

Alexei turned away from the room, wiping the tears out of his eyes and returning to his own room.

He locked the door behind him and began to gather a few things he knew he'd need.

He was leaving Paris.

Alexei always thought Paris was the answer, to everything. Paris would reunite him with his family.

Well, technically, it had, but it also turned out that his family didn't exactly care about him.

There was no longer anything in Paris for him. Everything he'd dreamed of, all this time, turned out to be a lie. All of it. Home was a lie. Love was a lie. Family was a lie. It was all lies. All of it.

Alexei couldn't remember the last time something he'd longed for turned out to be real and true.

Alexei pretended not to notice the fact that no one came to his door. Not like they had with Anya.

How come he was always expected to be okay? How come he could never break down as others could? He was always supposed to be fine because he had no other option. If he wasn't fine, he wouldn't survive. That was different now, but at its core, still the same. Alexei couldn't freak out and break down, not as others could. He'd had his childhood and family ripped away from him, and he was expected to just keep moving, live on as if nothing had happened at all.

Alexei didn't want to do that any longer. He wanted a home, a family, that would accept him, that would hold him as he broke down, that would always be there for him, but it wasn't real. None of it was.

Alexei wiped the tears from his eyes as he threw clothes into his suitcase. He couldn't stay in Paris any longer. He couldn't. Alexi cast one last look out over the balcony, then grabbed his suitcase and started out the door.

He ignored Vlad and Dimitri calling after him and continued to stalk down the hall.

"Sacha," called Dimitri. Alexei ignored him.

Then Alexei felt someone grab his arm to keep him from leaving. Alexei tore his arm away and finally turned around.

"What do you want?" Alexei snapped.

"Why are you leaving? We did it. You're close to your family, why would you leave now?"

"Why? Why would I leave? How about the fact that my own Grandmother didn't recognize me and forced me to go? How about that?" 

"Sacha..."

"Just stop, Dimitri. I don't care what you have to say. I'm not my grandmother's favorite. I've accepted that. Now I'm going. There's nothing left for me here. I'm not angry at you, Dimitri, or Vlad. Tell him that. I just can't stay here any longer."

He took off again down the hall, not stopping to see if anyone was following him. He didn't much care. He just wanted to leave.

When he got down to the street, Alexei stopped for only a moment to decide just where he would be going. The way itself didn't matter, neither did the destination in the end. All he cared about right now was that he'd be far away from here.

Alexei chose one way and started down it, keeping his head mostly bowed as he navigated through the streets. He didn't want anyone to notice him.

But another part of him didn't care if people saw him. He couldn't bring himself to care. He just wanted to leave.

Alexei felt himself get knocked to the ground, his suitcase sliding out of his hand.

"Sorry, sorry," Alexei said hurriedly as he started to stand. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Now what would a kid like you be doing out here alone?"

"I'm not a kid," Alexei insisted, finding his suitcase, grabbing it, and starting back in the same direction. "And it's none of your business."

He felt someone grab his arm. Alexei let out a sigh. This had happened much too often recently.

He turned around again and found himself face to face once again with Gleb Vaganov.

"I think it very much is my business," said Gleb, not releasing his grip on Alexei's arm. 

"Could you all just leave me alone for one day?" Alexei found himself asking.

"I told you that this wasn't over. I still have a duty."

"Then do it," said Alexei. "Kill me. You think I care anymore? I don't care if I leave Paris alive or dead. I'm just not staying here any longer." 

Alexei looked up and met Gleb's gaze. Was that... worry, in his dark eyes? Was he worried about Alexei?

He couldn't be. It didn't make any sense.

"I think you'd best come with me, Alexei," Gleb said gently.

Alexei shrugged and allowed himself to be led down a different street. Gleb never let go of his arm, but did loosen his grip. Alexei probably could have gotten away from Gleb, just taken off and never be seen again, but he didn't. He couldn't bring himself to care about anything. Not even his own life.

Gleb led Alexei through the streets and inside another tall building, up a couple of flights of stairs, and into a room.

Where Gleb had been staying, Alexei assumed. But just why he'd been brought here, Alexei couldn't figure out. 

Gleb let go of his arm. "Make yourself comfortable."

"Why did you bring me here?" Alexei asked, but Gleb didn't respond.

Alexei set his suitcase down and sat down on it. Gleb disappeared through another door. Alexei waited where he'd stopped, waiting for answers. he needed a lot of answers, and right now, the ones he felt that he needed the most was just why Gleb cared enough to take Alexei back to his own hotel room. It didn't make any sense.

"Why am I here?" Alexei asked when Gleb entered the room again. "Why did you bring me here? Why did you save my life? Why—"

"One question at a time, Alexei," said Gleb. "As for why I brought you here, you were lost. I couldn't let you wander around in Paris all through the night and let your get hurt or killed."

"Why did you spare me at the ballet? Why did you let me go?"

"It wasn't the right time," Gleb answered simply.

"And why did you save my life in the first place?"

Gleb hesitated. "You see, there's no simple answer to that one, Alexei."

"Then find one."

Gleb's lips twisted upwards in a smile.

"I wasn't joking."

"And that's what makes it funny. You think that there is always a cut and dry answer, but there's not. How about I ask you some questions this time around?"

Alexei tensed up. "What kind of questions?"

"What are you running from?"

"I've been forgotten. No one cares about me."

"Is that really what it is, Alexei?"

Alexei started to nod but found that he couldn't.

Maybe he wasn't running from that. Maybe there was something else.

Something... deeper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was both very hard and very fun to write. we're getting close to the end!


	10. Chapter 9

Alexei tried to come up with an answer. What was he running from? If it wasn't the fact that his own family didn’t accept him or care about him, what was he running from?

He didn’t have an answer. He didn’t know who or what he was running from. He didn’t even know who he was anymore.

He was Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov, Tsarevich of Russia, but he wasn't so sure what that meant anymore.

Maybe he didn't have to be that person anymore. Maybe he could try to be Sacha or even Alexei. Just Alexei.

If he knew what that meant, to be Alexei. Who even was Alexei, if not the heir to Russia's throne? Who could he be, if he finally gave up his dreams of being a Romanov again?

Who had he been all these years? Who was he to others, to himself?

And did it matter? Did it even matter who he chose to be? Did his own choices matter more than the past did? If he gave up his title, his past, would it matter?

Would anything he'd done matter?

Alexei hardly noticed when Gleb left the hotel room, closing the door behind him. Alexei kept sitting there, on his suitcase, unsure of everything, even his own thoughts.

Especially his own thoughts.

A long while later, Alexei did finally realize that he was alone. He stood up off his suitcase and glanced around the room. He was alone. He could leave, and no one would stop him. No one could stop him.

But did he want to leave?

Gleb... Gleb had once again saved his life. He was up to three, now. As much as he hated it, Alexei owed him. Alexei couldn't leave, not after all Gleb had done for him. Alexei couldn't betray Vaganov.

And deep down, Alexei found that he didn't want to either. He had no desire to leave, nor did he feel like he had the energy to do so.

Alexei sat back down on his suitcase, preparing himself to wait for a long time before Gleb would return. If he would, anyway.

Alexei somehow found himself laying on the floor after sliding off his suitcase. He itched to move, to do something, but he didn't want to leave the hotel room. So here he was, laying on the floor.

Alexei closed his eyes briefly. he wasn't falling asleep, but even closing his eyes for longer than blinking seemed to give him strange visions.

Fire flooded his vision. Flashes. The sound of screams filled his ears.

Alexei wanted to open his eyes and break free from this vision, but he found himself staying. Watching.

He saw Anya, now Anastasia. He saw her accepted as the Grand Duchess. He saw her in a big and bright red dress.

He saw Gleb, just as he'd been when Alexei had last seen him. He saw both of them, face to face. He saw the gun, pointing to Anya. He saw Gleb prepare to fire.

Alexei opened his eyes. He didn't want to keep seeing this. He couldn't. Alexei knew now that he couldn't stay here. He had to go after Gleb. Now Alexei knew where he'd gone. 

Alexei didn't stop to consider what all he was getting himself into when he left the hotel room, leaving his suitcase behind. He didn't have time to worry about his things. Anya was in danger. He may have left her behind before, he'd left everyone behind before, but he couldn't stay away. Not when her life was in danger.

It was only when Alexei was quite far from the hotel that he realized he had no idea where he was going.

He stopped, glancing around. The city was still bustling around him, and yet everything seemed to come to a halt.

He watched the streets, watched the cars, watched the people. He watched all of it until he found a group of reporters. He only managed to catch a few words, but it was enough.

Alexei began to follow them from a distance. Luckily, none of them seemed to notice him tailing them.

It turned out that following the reporters was a good idea because they led him exactly where he wanted to go.

To the Dowager Empress.

Alexei didn't follow them inside. He needed a different way in. If he went in those doors, he'd get caught up with the reporters and he'd never get through.

He glanced up at the building, scanning for some other way in.

There were a lot of windows, most of them likely locked from the inside. Alexei wasn't against the idea of breaking a window to get in if that was what he needed to do. The only problem Alexei had with that option was that he doubted he'd be able to break through the glass.

He scrapped that idea.

Alexei continued to study the front of the building. He felt that he was standing there for much too long.

"Arg!" he eventually let out and ran back towards the main doors, charging inside. 

He didn't care who he pushed past or shoved away. All he knew was that he needed to get to Anya before it was too late.

Someone grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

Alexei turned around to find himself face to face with Vlad again, Lily behind him, holding off the reporters.

"What are you doing back here?"

"We have trouble. Anya's in danger."

"She's safe," Vlad insisted. "With the Dowager Empress.

Alexei shook his head. "No, she isn't. She's in danger and I need to get to her right now or else it'll be too late."

Vlad glanced back at Lily for a moment, then herded Alexei through the doors that Alexei had been heading toward.

"Where was Anya last?' Alexei asked.

Vlad hesitated. "Somewhere down the second hall on the left," Vlad told him.

"Thank you, Vlad," said Alexei, then took off, following Vlad's instructions.

He tried every door down that hall, finding most of them empty until he came to one that was locked. He tried to listen in, to hear what was going on inside.

He couldn't pick out anything, but there was certainly something happening in there.

He hoped he wasn't too late.

Alexei went around the corner, trying to find if there was another door that led into the same room, that would hopefully be unlocked.

Finding nothing, Alexei came back around the corner, finding the door open and Gleb stepping out.

Alexei felt his heart sink. He was too late.

Gleb turned around and saw Alexei standing there. "I wouldn't have expected you to come back here," Gleb said in slight surprise. "I would have thought you'd be out of Paris by now."

"You came here to kill my sister. I... I had to try to stop you."

"No need," Gleb grinned, motioning into the room. "I've washed my hands of the Romanovs. Your lives are no longer my responsibility."

Alexei—without needing any more prompting—rushed into the room, pushing past Gleb and finding Anya there, alive, in the very same dress Alexei had seen her wear in his dream—though it wasn't quite a dream, was it?

Anya's face broke into a smile when she saw him.

"Sacha. I was so worried about you. I'm so glad you're alright." She walked towards him, opening her arms and giving him a hug.

It... it didn't feel as good as Alexei thought it would have.

Maybe because Anya still didn't recognize him.

Anya stepped back from him, her hands squeezing his own. "Sacha? What's wrong?"

Alexei gazed down to the floor, slowly shaking his head. "I'm... I'm not Sacha."

Anya frowned. "What do you mean? You're Sacha, I know you as Sacha. Who else—"

She stopped, her eyes scanning her fac his face.

She gasped, one hand going to cover her mouth. "Alexei?"

He nodded, not bothering to hold back his tears. "It's me."

Anya wrapped her arms around him again, holding him even tighter than before. Alexei hugged her back this time, tighter than he ever had before. He buried his face against her bare neck, feeling better than he ever had before. 

They held each other for a very long time before Anya pulled back again and laid her hands on either side of his face. "All this time," she smiled. "All this time, you knew who I was. And you never even told me who you were."

Alexei smiled through his tears which were still falling steadily. "I would have, today, but it all happened so fast."

Anya seemed to realize something. "Nana, she'll want to see you. We should—"

"I don't want right now to end," Alexei admitted.

Anya hugged him again. "Of course, Alexei."

She eventually pulled back again, her smile suddenly falling. "I think... I think I have to leave," she whispered. I'm so sorry, Alexei, but I have to go."

Alexei nodded, letting her go. "But... I'll see you again, won't I?"

Anya bit her lip. "I don't know yet."

Alexei nodded. "I... I understand. You can go."

Anya thanked him, beginning to leave, but then turned back to him, took his face in her hands, and kissed his forehead. "I love you, Alexei. Remember that, always."

Alexei nodded, blinking to clear his vision, and then she was gone.

He couldn't bring himself to move from where he stood. He wasn't entirely sure where Anya had gone, where Anastasia had gone, but he knew that she had needed to. That was good enough a reason for him.

At least he had the comfort that she remembered him. She knew who he was, and they'd been reunited. Even if... even if they never saw each other again, it would be alright. Alexei knew it would.

It would all be alright.

Alexei turned around when he saw a when he noticed someone block the light coming in from the hall.

"What do you think you are doing here, young man?" the Dowager Empress asked harshly.

Alexei couldn't find a way to respond.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated.

"Waiting," he managed to choke out.

"For what?"

"For you."

The Dowager Empress stepped into the room, seeming to study him. "Who are you?"

Alexei straightened his back again and breathed in deeply. "Alexei Nikolaevich Romanov, Tsarevich of Russia."

The Dowager Empress narrowed her eyes at him.

"If you haven't heard, young man, one Romanov child survived, and I've already found her. Only one Romanov survived that night—"

"Why do you believe Anya but not me?" 

"You dare interrupt me?"

Alexei nodded. "I do, in fact. I remember everything about that night. I'm still haunted by it. Look into my eyes, and tell me you don't see your only grandson in them. Look into my eyes, and tell me that you don't see the ghosts of your family in them. Look into my eyes, and tell me, to my face, that I am not a Romanov."

Alexei worried that he might have gone too far, but he knew that he couldn't back down. Vlad and Dimitri had accepted him. Anya had accepted him. Now at all that was left was his grandmother. 

She studied him again, coming closer to him, circling him like a hawk. Was that the right analogy? Alexei didn't care either way.

She looked into his eyes for a long time. Alexei refused to back down, even with her stare boring into him.

She stepped back after a long while., her face breaking into a smile. "You've grown into quite the handsome young man, my dear Alexei."

She held her arms out, Alexei dashing towards her and letting himself feel in her comfort again, for the first time since he was just a young child, no older than three, even. 

And if it felt so good.

"Now where did Anastasia run off to?" his grandmother asked, glancing around. "She was always getting into trouble. We must all three be reunited."

"Nana," Alexei whispered. He and Anastasia had always called her that, while their older sisters called her 'Grandmama.' Alexei had just always taken after Anastasia for as long as he could remember.

"What is it?"

"I don't think we'll be seeing her again soon. She... she left. I don't know where, and I don't know when she'll be back."

"Oh, dear."

"But," Alexei began again, "she didn't seem upset when she left. She's happy. I know she is, Nana."

"And that will have to be enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay! happy boy!
> 
> so after this, we have one more chapter of plot stuff and then an epilogue (that i don't really like that much but whatever). it's almost over!!


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while since i finished writing this, but as I've been posting, I've been liking the ending less and less (especially the epilogue - next week). so basically, the last chapter could have been the ending, and these next two didn't happen. I'll post them anyway, since it was my original ending, but if you don't like it, that's fine. just pretend that it ended with the last chapter :)

Alexei got settled in his grandmother's home. He was content to stay there, for just a few days. Then he wanted to get out into the city again.

"I need to go retrieve my things," he used as an excuse since he had left his suitcase in Gleb's hotel room.

Thankfully, he was allowed to go, and even better, alone.

So here he stood, gazing up at the building, breathing deeply and trying to gather the courage to go inside. 

Alexei bowed his head and entered. He climbed up the couple flights of stairs, his heart pounding.

Now he stood in front of Gleb's door, not entirely sure if he'd even still be there.

But it was worth a shot. 

Alexei knocked at the door, hearing a muffled, "It's unlocked."

He turned the doorknob and entered, closing the door behind him. Gleb was standing with his back to the door, looking out the window at the city. He turned around to see who had come in.

"I was wondering if you'd drop by," Gleb half-smiled. "Your stuff is at the table."

Alexei—without a word, followed Gleb's instructions and found his suitcase. He took it into his hands but still stood in the center of the room, not leaving.

"You're just in time, you know," Gleb continued, walking around the room and gathering a few things. "I leave later today."

"Where are you going?"

"Back to Russia," he replied. "Where else?"

"Won't you be punished??"

Gleb shrugged. "I'm going to try to convince my superiors that I succeeded. They won't send anyone else after you and Anya, and I won't be punished. It's a situation where everyone wins."

"What if you fail?"

"I... I guess I just have to make sure I don't."

"That's not a very good plan."

"It's the best one I have. Do you have another?"

Alexei nodded. "Stay here."

Gleb stared at him for what felt like forever, then burst out laughing.

"I mean a plan that will work, Alexei. Staying in Paris is not one of them.

"Why can't it be?"

"If I stay, Alexei, my superiors will send someone else to Paris. I'm afraid that whoever they send will not hesitate as I did. For your safety and Anya's, I must return to Russia."

"But if you fail, they'll send someone here anyway," Alexei pointed out. "And you'll be punished. Is that not enough reason to stay?"

Gleb shook his head. "Alexei, I will not let you or Anya fall into harm's way any longer. I must return, and try to convince my superiors of you and your sister's demise. Or even just Anya's. They don't even know of your existence as far as I'm aware."

Gleb closed his suitcase, taking it into his hands and facing Alexei again.

"It's for the best, Alexei," Gleb told him, obviously trying to sound comforting. Gleb walked over to him, putting his hand on Alexei's shoulder. "Your life has value. You have the potential to be great. I won't let that potential be wasted."

Gleb's hand brushed past Alexei's cheek as Gleb continued on.

"And I won't let you waste yours," Alexei mumbled, making a decision. He turned around, finding Gleb staring at him again.

"You have saved my life three times," Alexei began with confidence. "I am in your debt."

"Alexei, you have no need to repay me—"

"Actually, I do. I owe my life to you three times over. That means, in order to repay the debt, I must save your life three times in return. You want to return to Russia, and by doing so, risking your life. And you see, I simply can't have that," he grinned. "Now you have a choice. Do you let me return with you to Russia and I can save your life if it comes to it there, or do you stay? I'll let you decide."

Alexei watched Gleb's face contort as he went through a spur of different emotions. He looked back up at Alexei. "You're a clever one, you know that?"

Alexei nodded, his grin widening. "So I've been told."

Gleb placed his suitcase on the ground. Alexei ran toward him, throwing his arms around Gleb's neck.

"I'm so glad you decided to stay. Else I would have had to resort to other measures."

"And what would those be?"

"Officially ordering you, calling in backup, anything else that could work."

Gleb let out a laugh and wrapped his arms around Alexei in return.

Gleb ended up going with Alexei back to his grandmother's home where he'd been staying for the past few days.

Almost immediately, they were stopped.

"What is he doing here?" Vlad whispered to Alexei after pulling him aside.

"I brought him here," Alexei replied simply.

"He's a Bolshevik!"

"He's a friend."

"He tried to kill Anya—"

"And he saved my life three times, Vlad. He is welcome here. Got that?"

Vlad glanced back towards Gleb, who was standing nervously and awkwardly in the center of the entryway. Then Vlad looked back at Alexei.

"If you're sure."

"I am."

Alexei ran back up to Gleb, reaching his hand out. "We'll get you settled."

Gleb hesitated. "Alexei, are you sure you want me here?"

Alexei nodded. "Why wouldn't I?"

Gleb glanced around nervously then leaned down to whisper to Alexei, "I don't belong here. I'm against the idea of royalty, you know this. I'm an enemy to you."

Alexei let out a sigh. "One night. Stay here for one night. Tomorrow... tomorrow we can come up with something else. Deal?"

Gleb nodded slowly. "Deal." 

Alexei then led Gleb to a room near his home, letting Gleb get st settled for the night before going in to talk to him again.

"Alexei," he heard his grandmother call from down the hall.

"Yes, Nana?" he asked, rushing toward her.

"Lily has informed me of our little.. visitor."

Alexei's heart sank. "What about him?"

"Why would you want to bring such a man here?"

"He's a good man, Nana."

"He is a murderer, is he not? A Bolshevik?"

"They aren't the same thing, Nana. Gleb is not a murderer, and as of now, he is no more a Bolshevik than I am."

"He is a danger to all of us here, don't you see that?"

"He is my savior. Three times over he saved my life. I only hope to return the favor."

She didn't respond.

"It's just for one night, Nana," Alexei said softly. "Then we'll find something else."

"One night," she agreed.

She stalked back out of the hall. Alexei knocked at Gleb's door, entering when Gleb said "Come in."

"They don't like me here," Gleb said almost immediately. "I told you, Alexei. I don't belong here. Can't you see that?"

"As much as they may not like you being here, I'm not letting you leave. Not until tomorrow, anyway. Everyone's agreed to let you stay the night. I'm not letting you back out of this."

"Alexei—"

"Stop protesting. It's been decided."

The next day, Alexei found himself arguing with just about everyone as to where Gleb would go since he both wasn't allowed to and didn't want to stay another night.

"I should just—" Gleb began.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence with 'go back to Russia,'" Alexei warned. "You are not going back there. We've discussed this."

Gleb didn't reply.

The argument lasted for a long while until it was—somewhat—agreed on that Gleb would go out on his own—NOT back to Russia—and would be given a large sum of money to live on.

And then Gleb went to the room he'd stayed in the night before, beginning to b pack the few things he had with him.

Alexei couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, knowing that Gleb was leaving.

And Alexei might never see him again.

Just like Anya and Dimitri.

But Alexei took comfort in the fact that Anya and Dimitri had each other. They would be fine, as long as they had each other to care for.

Gleb... Gleb was going out on his own. There was something much worse in that fact. Something that Alexei didn't like.

There was an added danger to traveling alone. Alexei knew, in his mind, that Gleb would be fine. Gleb could take care of himself, but he also found that, in his heart, he really didn't want Gleb to leave.

Alexei stood in the entryway, watching Gleb leave with his single suitcase.

Gleb waved back at him. "Thank you, Alexei."

Alexei nodded, trying to wipe away his tears. "No, thank you.," he sniffed.

Gleb put his suitcase down, walking back over to Alexei. Gleb put his arms around Alexei and gave him a quick, tight hug.

"Don't cry for me, Alexei." Gleb wiped his thumb over Alexei's cheek to wipe a tear away. "This is good, Alexei. You are where you belong, remember that. Treasure it."

There was pain in his eyes, behind his soft gaze.

"I don't want you to go," he whimpered. 

"I know," Gleb nodded. "But it's for the best."

Gleb drew his hand away and walked back across the room. He picked up his suitcase, giving Alexei a final nod, then leaving.

Alexei burst into tears. he found Vlad standing behind him and sobbed into his coat. He felt Vlad's arms wrap around him.

"You really don't want him to leave, do you?" Vlad asked quietly. Alexei nodded.

"It doesn't feel right," he whimpered.

Vlad pulled back. Alexei saw Lily standing beside him, blurry through his tears. She held something out to him.

A suitcase.

"The only rules are that you must write," Lily lectured. "And visit at least once a year."

"Is this... are you... really?"

They smiled at him, nodding.

"If you feel this strongly about it," added Vlad.

Alexei grasped the handle of the suitcase with one hand, looking back toward Vlad and Lily. "Thank you," he choked out, then ran out the door.

"Gleb!" he yelled, running to catch up with him. "Wait up!"

Gleb turned around.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gleb asked when Alexei had caught up to him.

Alexei grinned up at him. "Coming with you."

"But—"

"I've decided," Alexei said firmly. "I'm coming." He looked forward, past the city and into the world with endless opportunities. "So where are we going?"

Gleb laughed to himself. "You're a stubborn one, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with this! love y'all <3


	12. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when i first wrote this epilogue, i kinda-sorta had an idea about what should happen, but the actual epilogue was not nearly as good as what i had wanted. just like the last chapter, you don't really have to accept this one as canon if you don't want to. I'll post it anyway, but be warned that this chapter is pretty bad compared to the others.

Alexei stuck to the rules. He'd often send back letters to his grandmother and Lily and Vlad, and for the past two or three years since he'd been on the move with Gleb, they'd went gone back at least once a year.

And sometimes, during the year, Alexei did find himself missing his family, both birth family and adopted, but he never regretted his decision. Choosing to travel with Gleb—who quickly became just as much of an older brother to Alexei as Dimitri had all those years ago—was just about the best decision he'd ever made.

Almost as good as his decision to give Anya a try at being the Grand Duchess and work with Dimitri and Vlad.

Not a single day went by in which Alexei didn't think about the family he'd left behind. His Nana, Vlad and Lily, Dimitri and Anya. He thought fondly of them, every day, and every night.

His nightmares eventually seemed to fade away. They were replaced with flashes of happy memories. Talking with Anya on the ship, helping Dimitri hide when he was being chased—which happened far too often—Vlad calling him 'son.' His nightmares turned into dreams, beautiful dreams. 

And it was perfect.

As of right now, Gleb and Alexei were traveling through Romania. Alexei felt excited. It was another land he'd never been in. A new land, a new place to explore.

It felt so good to explore.

So that was where he was. Romania. Walking through the streets, by himself at the moment since Gleb had stayed in their flat they were renting to make dinner.

And that was where he saw her. Or them. 

Across the street, he saw them, walking together, talking and laughing. 

Alexei watched them pass, making sure he wasn't mistaking a random couple for someone else. 

It was them, for certain. The two of them seemed to be lost in their own world. 

Alexei almost let them leave, get too far away, but then he came out of his stupor.

Then he took off toward them, across the street, and through the crowd, not caring about if he knocked into people or not.

He almost yelled out their names, but he stopped himself in time. You never know who might be listening.

Alexei managed to catch up to them and impulsively grabbed Anya's hand. She immediately twisted her hand out of his grasp and swatted at him, Alexei barely managing to dodge before she hit him in the face.

They both turned around, their expressions hard, but softened when they saw him.

"Fancy seeing you here," Alexei grinned.

Both Anya and Dimitri threw their arms around him.

"What are you doing here?" Anya exclaimed. "Are you alone?"

Alexei shook his head. "I'm here with Gleb."

They both pulled back, Anya looking around and seeming to scan the street. "Gleb? He's here?"

"What are you doing with him?" Dimitri said, sounding much unhappier than Anya.

"I've been traveling with him for years now," Alexei answered.

"Sacha—"

"He saved my life, Dimitri. Three times. He's not the man you thought he was."

"But—"

"Where are you staying?" Anya interrupted.

"I'll take you there," Alexei volunteered, beginning to lead them back to the flat.

"Hey, Gleb?" said Alexei.

"What?" he called back.

"I think we might need to set the table for more."

Gleb didn't reply at first. "What for?" he asked, coming around to the entryway, stopping in his tracks, his mouth hanging open.

Alexei smiled proudly.

"Anya?" Gleb said in disbelief.

"It's technically supposed to be 'Anna' now," she corrected. "But yes. It's me."

Gleb stared for a long amount of time, before shaking himself out of his stupor and heading back toward the kitchen. "I think I might be able to expand the recipe for you all if you'd like."

"We don't—" Dimitri began but Anya elbowed him in the side.

"Can't you just try to get along?" Dimitri didn't reply, but didn't protest about staying for any longer.

That night, Dimitri and Anya prepared to go back to their flat. Alexei knew he didn't want them to leave, but he also knew they'd still be near.

No, the goodbye got worse when Gleb and Alexei were preparing to leave Romania. 

Alexei knew it was unsafe to stay in one place for too long, but he wished it didn't mean leaving Anya and Dimitri.

Unless...

"Come with us," Alexei invited.

"What?" said Dimitri.

"Come with us," Alexei repeated. "Travel the world with us, all the four of us, together."

"Where.... where would we go?" asked Anya.

"Anywhere. Anywhere you want."

Anya and Dimitri looked at each other, then toward Alexei and Gleb.

They nodded, both at the same time, to Alexei's surprise.

"You will?" Gleb said hopefully.

Anya nodded. "I think it's time to be with family again," she said. "More than just the two of us."

"So where do we go first?" asked Dimitri.

Alexei smiled to himself.

Things were going better than he could ever have imagined.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i guess i should probably say something here, since it's finished now. well, a big thank you to everyone who's been reading this (and especially to those who've been leaving comments!). it really means a lot, for you to have stuck around this long. thank you, so so much. <3


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